Momentis
by Philippe de la Matraque
Summary: A collection of scenes and short stories in Ignis's (and others') life following the events of Chapter 13. Will include all the usual characters and some romance (Ignis/Aranea). Spoilers for Final Fantasy XV, Episode Ignis and Episode Prompto. Mostly Ignis POV but there will be others. Rating is for Ch. 23.
1. The First Night

Author's Note: I do not intend to write a 10+ year story. I have written a 1 year story that took ten years to write. A 10+ year story might take me a century! I don't seek to set out a detailed novel then. Rather, I will write moments, scenes. Some long, some shorter. These moments will span the ten years of the world of ruin and maybe even go beyond. I hope to stick to canon where there is canon. (I do not consider Comrades to be canon, as it somewhat negates canon. Though I may borrow bits from it.) I may even borrow (by referencing title and author) a moment from another story someone else wrote that I feel fits into my story arc. (I have at least one in mind.) Heck, I may even write out of order. But then, I do tend to write linearly.

Also note: I have not played Final Fantasy XV or any other Final Fantasy in my life. But I did become enamored of a certain bespecticled character as I watched my husband play this game where he had to fight some beast every twenty feet he moved or stand around fishing. It got way more interesting to me in Chapter 10. So I went to Youtube and watched playthroughs of Chapter 9. I made sure my husband didn't play unless I was watching the rest of the story and I absolutely couldn't wait for Episode Ignis. I thought of writing how he was blinded but figured Episode Ignis would deliver that and I wouldn't have to. I loved Episode Ignis and take it for canon. But I still found myself with these moments and scenes and realized I just had to write after all. I start the collection of moments, then, after Gladio, Prompto and Ignis escape Zegnautus Keep and begin the long and dangerous trek back to Lucis.

 **Momentis  
Part I: The Journey**

 **The First Night**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

It had long since grown dark by the time they found a haven. Exhausted, they set up the camp in silence. Gladio and Prommpto did most of the work. Ignis managed the chairs. He could just make out a slightly less dark area where the campfire was. Besides, he could hear the crackling of the wood and feel its warmth on his face.

Dinner was Cup Noodles again and Ignis felt a pang of sadness. He could easily think of a dozen recepies that would have tested better and satisfied longer. But cooking was another thing he'd lost.

He tried hard not to wallow in self-pity. He'd spent a good three weeks in it back in Altissia. But he had moments when the loss would overpower him and leave him feeling melancholy.

Prompto might have read his mind. "I'm sure you'll figure out how to cook again, Iggy."

Gladio's rumbling voice added, "You'll figure a lot of stuff out. It's only been a month."

Ignis didn't trust his voice not to break so he just nodded. His blindness took a backseat to his main cause of sadness. They had left Gralea without the Crystal and without Noctis. There were very few times in his life that Noctis had not shared, and he felt a certain emptiness at his absense. But all day long, as he'd followed behind his companions' footsteps, he'd been playing and replaying the vision the Oracle's dog had shared with him. He knew for certain that it was the future now. And he knew what it would cost to right the world now.

He took a deep breath. "I have," he started, surprising himself with the steadiness of his voice, "something to share."

"What happened in Altissia?" Gladio asked. "I've been with you otherwise."

"In part," Ignis admitted, "though I do feel now that I can find my way to the rest of it someday soon. This concerns Noctis."

Prompto's voice was quiet, as if he was talking into his own chest. "Do you know what happened in there?"

Ignis nodded. He heard Gladio grit his teeth. "And you're just telling us now?"

"I wasn't certain," Ignis said in his defense. "And I hoped it wasn't or that it could change." When there no more interuptions, he continued. "You know I fought my way to the docks, took a boat."

"Yeah," Prompto said helpfully. Ignis couldn't see if they'd nodded.

"I was attacked by an Imperial general in a large, amphibious machine. I was driven away from the altar, and both I and the boat were thrown back on land. I had to fight that machine as well as various MTs. I defeated them but the general survived. Until Ravus Nox Fleuret ran him through with his sword."

"Ravis?" Gladio exclaimed.

"Yes," Ignis went on, "we formed an uneasy partnership as our goals were the aligned. He wanted to save his sister; I wanted to protect Noctis. We fought our way to the altar, and just as I reached it, I saw a white dog, one of Luna's."

"Pryna!" Prompto offered. "Was she okay?"

Ignis shook his head. "As she died, she began to glow and images started passing through my mind. There was a strange voice. It spoke of the true king and the Accursed and how the latter will be defeated and light returned to the world." He paused. He hated this last part. "And what it would cost."

Prompto's voice shook as he spoke. "Noctis? Did it kill him?"

"No," Ignis relied. "But it will."

It was apparent that Glado didn't like that part either. He stood abruptly, tipping his chair back. "Maybe you heard wrong!"

Ignis just sighed. He was angry, too. "The voice said it three times." He sighed again. "Noctis is in the Crystal. The ring has to absorb the Crystal's light. He will then emerge and fight the Accursed. But then he must go to the throne and pay the blood price to rid our world of darkness. The life of the True King."

"Maybe it was just a hallucination," Gladio tried. "Or the dog was confused."

"It spoke of other sacrifices," Ignis told them. "I saw a glimpse of each of our faces. I saw this." He slowly pointed from one side of his face to the other. "Though my glasses were different."

Gladio collapsed to the ground. "That is so unfair!"

"Yeah," Prompto added from his seat. "Hasn't he sacrificed enough? Haven't we all?"

"I agree." Ignis shook his head. "I took an oath to protect him. To take care of him." The emotion got the better of him. "I can't now," he cried, "and I can't then!"

The was a rustle and then there were arms around his shoulders, a head beside his own. Prompto's. Gladio then pulled them both out of the chair and wrapped them in his arms. That unpreciidented event was too much for at least two of them. Ignis felt tears fall from his eyes—both of them—and Prompto sniffled.

"How long?" Prompto asked after several minutes had passed and they'd let go. They were still sitting huddled together on the ground near the fire. "Could you tell?"

Ignis played it over in his head again. The whole vision until Noctis's face after his own. "He was older, more mature in his face, stern and serious. He had the beginnings of a beard and mustache. His hair was longer."

"Years, then?" Glaadio asked. "But how many?"

"It did not specify," Ignis replied.

They sat again in silence and Ignis imagined they were staring into the fire.

Gladio stiffened beside him, then stood. "So that means we got time."

"Time for what?" Prompto asked. He stood, too, so Ignis picked himself up off the ground.

"Time to get ready for his return. We were with him, right, in the vision, when he was older?"

"Yes," Ignis affirmed. That much he could surmise.

"Then we're going to go back to Lestallum. Iris is there. The power plant may be able to produce enough light to keep the daemons at bay. We've got to survive and make ourselves ready to help him fight the Accursed." He folded up one chair, Ignis heard, then another. "Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow, we train. And, Iggy, we're going to find you a new way to fight."


	2. The Second Camp

Author's Note: These first scenes will be will be frequent in the story timeline. And yes, they are spoilers. Absolutely. But I feel it's important for these friends to know their stories and I think they would have told them this way. So I don't do this just rewrite the DLCs, but to have the others hear the story.

 **Moments  
Part I: The Journey**

 **The Second Camp**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Ignis and the others were tired again when they found the next haven. To Ignis, it had been just unnumbered hours as they walked or ran or fought. He couldn't tell the time well by what light of the sun managed to penetrate the darkness of one remaining eye. Slightly less dark was as light as things got for him. The sun was farther away than a campfire so it was even less light than that. But Prompto could not manage not to grumble about the long hours, the shorter day, the longer nights. Gladio just grunted and urged them on.

The training had been mainly defense in the morning. They had focused on his strongest sense: Hearing. He could hear Gladio's steps as they came closer, the sound of his sword swinging through the air. Daemons were rarely stealthy and quiet so it was even easier to defend against them, if there weren't too many surrounding him. Gladio wanted him to dodge that morning. They'd work on blocking later.

The daemons gave Ignis one more advantage. They stank. He'd often heard that when one sense was lost, the others grew stronger. If the wind was right, he sometimes smelled the daemons before he even heard them. And he was getting to realize the different stenches each sort of daemon had. Prompto was helpful to name them as they came to them, so Ignis could begin to make mental notes and add smell and sound to his memories of movements, weaknesses and strengths. In battle, he did as Gladio said. He dodged, only parrying when they were close. He helped Prompto and Gladio when they were down and he threw spells when he could.

But it had been two slightly less dark periods before they reached this haven. With the near constant travel and frequent battles, they could barely stand. Prompto made the fire and Gladio set up the tent. No chairs, he'd said. Don't bother. They wouldn't be up much longer than it took time to warm their food and eat it.

Ignis admitted to himself that even Cup Noodles were satisfying when one hadn't eaten in two days. They slept long into the long night and Prompto woke Ignis when it was still very dark, not slightly less. "It's nine in the morning," Prompto told him. "Not that you'd know it from looking."

"We shall have to learn to live by the clock," Ignis replied. "It won't be long now before you can't see the sun at all."

Prompto surprised him them. "Why didn't I think of that sooner? Give me your phone."

"My phone?" Ignis didn't follow.

"There's gotta be accessibility settings, ways it will talk to you and you can control it by voice," he answered. "I'll set it up for you while Gladio fixes breakfast."

"Surely not Cup Noodles again?" Ignis let himself imagine bacon and eggs at the very least.

"Nah, we've got chili this morning."

"Brilliant." Ignis felt for his dark glasses and cane then left the tent.

"It's what we've got," Gladio stated in his defense. "Better than nothing."

"That it is," Ignis agreed. The fire was going again and Ignis went toward it only to bump into a camp chair. He felt his way around it and sat down.

After they had eaten and had something to drink, Ignis took a steadying breath. "I told you I didn't remember what happened."

"But you do," Gladio said. "Why lie about it?"

"I didn't want to burden Noctis in any way," Ignis replied. "And because it was incredibly, horribly painful."

"Now Noctis isn't here to burden," Prompto said, giving Ignis a little break. "But we're still here for you."

"I know. And I want to unburden myself in this as well." Ignis rubbed the bridge of his nose, unwittingly feeling the scar there. "After I left the dog, I found Ravus standing at the altar. Lunafreya and Noct lay before him. She had her hand, still glowing on his shoulder. But there was blood at her side." He held a hand to the same spot on himself for them to see. "Noctis's chest rose and fell with his breath but she had none. Ravus became incensed at the loss of his sister, and he raised his sword to smite Noct. I stopped him." He held up his left hand, imagining Ravus's arm coming down, and then his right as he pantomimed his dagger blocking the sword. "I pushed him back." Again he acted it out there in his chair and he couldn't stop himself. It was as if it was happening again. He saw it very clearly as he stared blindly at the fire. "Twice I pushed him until he was far from Noct. But he'd lost all sense and I had to fight him. I tried to reason with him, to help him see that Noct was the chosen, that he was not the cause of his sister's death or the fall of Tenebrae. He blamed Regis and said nothing good could come of his seed. I tried to remind him of the Oracle's duty, but it was no good. So I had to keep fighting until, finally, I plunged my dagger into his Magitek arm."

"You defeated him?" Gladio said, and Ignis was brought out of the moment by his bewilderment. Ravus Nox Fleuret had so shaken his own confidence that Gladio had left them to prove to himself that he was worthy to be the King's Shield.

"If it helps, he was emotionally distraught."

Gladio sighed. "I'm sorry, please continue."

Ignis let himself slip back into the scene, his memories so clear. "Ravus returned to his sister, though he'd lost all his fight. He held her and grieved. Her body disappeared and she appeared, ghost-like over the water, glowing resplendent with a light smile on her face. Then she was gone, though Ravus begged her to stay. Then I heard you call my name." He faced Gladio.

"Me?" he asked. "I wasn't there yet, I don't think. And I was with Prompto."

Ignis nodded, "And I asked you where he was. Should have been my first clue. But you saw Ravus and strode straight to him. You raised your sword and he blocked it with his. And he named you Ardyn."

Prompto sucked in a breath at that. "So he used your face that time."

"He regained his true face and the MT's surrounded me. They knocked me to the ground and pinned me there. Others took Ravus. Ardyn kicked me and I lost consciousness. When I woke, he had Noctis. He lifted him like rag doll and put a dagger to his neck. I couldn't do anything to stop him." Ignis was shaking, his pulse pounding in his chest. He almost didn't hear the chairs moving closer as he saw the blade lower toward Noctis's neck. Gladio, then, put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly. The images slid back a bit, still clear but farther away.

"But you did, right?" Prompto said. "Because he didn't kill him."

Ignis shook his head. "Ravus did. Ardyn dropped Noctis and turned on Ravus. He threw some sort of purple spell at him, and he flew back and landed in a heap some twenty feet away. Then he turned to me. He gave me a choice. Go with him, or join the flotsam rolling out to a watery grave."

He could barely breathe but he needed to tell now. He needed someone to share this burden with him. "But when Noctis had fallen, he'd lost his grip on the Ring."

That caused them both to gasp. "I fought my way up," he told them. "I said, 'I swore an oath to stand with Noct and keep him safe. Whatever it takes, I _will_ protect him!'" His right hand made the motion of slipping the ring onto his left middle finger. "I bade the kings of Lucis to lend me their strength."

Prompto now held his other arm. But he barely felt it. He felt the burning, the pain. He saw the purple flames around his left eye, in his hand. He didn't even realize he was still talking, still telling them. "I saw everything through a purple light and flames around my eye. But the pain went away. And all I felt was _power._ Unbelievable power. I unleashed it on him. I fought him with everything I had. Until it was gone."

"Gone?" Prompto asked.

"And he didn't kill you then?" questioned Gladio.

Ignis shook his head. "He said that was enough for one day and left. The pain returned and I staggered back to where I thought Noct was. It was hard to see. Hard to breathe. I fell where you found me. I couldn't see him. Ravus returned and told me Noct was alright, thanks to me. He bade me save my strength as he said I had a calling to fulfill. He wished us both well, and Noct. Then I heard my name. You came. I don't remember after that."

Gladio cleared his throat. "I wasn't sure how to get you both off that altar. But Prompto said he could manage Noct, so I carried you. Weskham met us with a boat and we took you both back to the Leville. I laid you on the bed and had Prompto get a doctor."

Prompto picked up the story. "The doctor didn't know what to make of it. He'd never seen burns like yours before. But he said he'd treat the symptoms and hope for the best. He gave you oxygen, antibiotics and a salve for the burns. He said to watch for fever, as he didn't like the look of your left eye. The right wasn't much better."

Ignis's body was calming now, the images were gone where he had no memory. Gladio's voice came back. "By morning, you were breathing stronger, but by afternoon you were shivering and sweating and had a sky-high fever. The doctor came back. He removed your eye and pumped you full of antibiotics. And we waited."

Prompto again. "Your fever broke sometime in the night. You woke up the day after that."

"I remember," Ignis told him. "I wasn't certain I was really awake."

Gladio's voice was quiet. "I've faced daemons and monsters and Gilgamesh himself. But I've never been so scared as I was those three days." He squeezed Ignis's shoulder again. "And I took it out on Noct." Ignis could hear the regret in his voice.

Ignis felt a wave of regret as well. He shook his head, tensing again. "But what was it for?" he cried. "Ardyn wouldn't have killed Noct. He needed him in the Crystal. He was toying with me the whole time."

"No!" Prompto exclaimed. "No, it wasn't for nothing. If you hadn't done it, he would have killed you. He would have taken Noctis and the ring back to Gralea right then and there. And we would have found you and not him and you wouldn't be able to tell us any of it. We would have lost you both. So don't ever feel like it was for nothing!"

And for the second time since leaving Gralea, Ignis wept. The burden lifted and left him shaken and weak. But his friends were there, holding him up until he could manage himself again. "I think you just may be the strongest man I've ever met," Gladio told him. "Cor would be jealous."

"I don't feel strong," Ignis admitted.

"Neither did I," Prompto said. "At least not until Aranea's tough love routine knocked me on my ass." He helped Ignis rise to his feet. "But we have a long way to go. It'll be my turn next time we camp."


	3. Third Time's a Charm

Author's Note: Spoilers for Episode Prompto

 **Moments  
Part I: The Journey**

 **Third Time's a Charm**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Prompto was too tired to complain about being tired. They had walked, ran, and fought for miles. His feet felt like lead. His muscles ached from fight to fight. But he looked at Gladio, soldiering on, and at Ignis, doing his best to keep up. Prompto couldn't imagine trying to do this without seeing where he was going, what was in front of him, or who might be trying to kill him at any given moment. Most of the time, Ignis acted like it didn't bother him at all. But they knew now that it did. Of course, it did.

He also knew how much Ignis had helped Noctis, and, by association, Prompto. It only seemed right to help Ignis now. They couldn't just leave him behind. He'd put up a good fight, but alone and blind, Ignis would wander and get lost or get overwhelmed by daemons. He would die, and Prompto and Gladio didn't want that any more than he did.

But Ignis was a proud man, more accomplished at twenty-two than Prompto thought he ever would be himself, even if he lived to be a hundred. It was hard for Ignis to ask for help, and so Prompto tried to not to help when he wasn't needed and to be very low-key about it when he felt it was. Ignis had lost a lot. He didn't need to lose his dignity along with everything else.

Each night was longer and darker and there were more and more daemons to deal with. And the pace they were keeping was punishing. Prompto wanted to get to Lestallum sooner rather than later, but he wasn't sure his shoes or feet would make it along with the rest of him.

When they reached the next opportunity for rest, they were excited to find an RV waiting there. They didn't even bother with a campfire.

"Two steps up," Prompto told Ignis. He took Ignis's arm and helped him up and into one of the chairs before collapsing on the sofa. "You two can haggle over the bed. I'm not moving from this spot ever again."

"We can't keep up this pace, Gladio," Ignis said. "Exhaustion will not serve us in a fight. And we have limited potions."

"We have enough," Gladio countered, though it didn't sound like his heart was in it.

"How much farther until we reach Lestallum?" Prompto asked.

Gladio sighed. "I get it. It's gonna take weeks on foot. Months, maybe. I wanna get there tomorrow, but we won't get there at all if we're too tired to lift a sword."

"Or if we use up all the potions," Prompto added. "So what's the right pace? And even if we find that, does it guarantee we'll find a haven every night? These things have been few and far between so far."

There was rare frustration in Iggy's voice when he spoke, "I wish I could look at the damn map!"

Gladio unfolded the map on the table. "And I wish I could read it to you in some way you could make sense of it. But how does anyone read a map out loud?"

"What did they call this in school?" Prompto asked, still not sitting up. "Paradox shift or something."

"Paradigm?" Ignis offered.

"Yeah," Prompto said. "First you losing your sight. It changed everything for you, but also how we do things, or try to. You handled all the logistics. Noct could lead and we could follow because we could trust you had covered all the details. Then we lost Noct to the Crystal. He was the glue that brought all of us together."

"Yes," Ignis agreed. "Paradigm shifts. The world going dark is another. Everyone everywhere is going to have to find a new way to survive."

"So we need a new way of doing things," Gladio said. He slapped the map. "What about GPS?"

"Oh man!" Prompto exclaimed. "Why didn't we think of that sooner?"

"GPS will drain our batteries," Ignis cautioned. "Though if we take turns, we could switch phones when one dies, extend our range."

"And we can charge them if we find an RV like this," Gladio added. "Give me your phones. I'll get them charging. Do we want to eat or sleep?"

"Sleep!" Prompto voted. He had closed his eyes halfway through this conversation.

Ignis didn't exactly argue. "I believe you owe us a story."

"I do," Prompto admitted. Gladio thumped his shoulder and Prompto fished out his phone. "Can I postpone 'til morning? Or whatever time we're calling morning?"

"We'll leave at first light," Gladio said. "Less daemons when the sun is out. Hopefully, we'll find another rest stop by nightfall."

"What time is the sun coming up these days?" Ignis asked.

"Not until almost ten," Gladio supplied. "Gets dark again by five in the afternoon."

"Seven hours is still a lot," Ignis surmised, "but we'll have a long night to rest."

"Maybe we'll get really lucky," Prompto offered, "and find some chocobos."

"Think you can train at eight, Iggy?" Gladio asked.

"I do," Ignis replied, "but only if I rest now."

"You can have the bed in the back, Iggy," Gladio said as he moved to the front. "I'll recline one of these chairs."

"And the back is which way?"

"Past me," Prompto offered. "Bed is straight back. You'll run right into it." Ignis brushed past him, touching the walls and cabinets as he walked.

Prompto closed his eyes again and rolled over to lay on his side. He was asleep in minutes. Eight hours later, he woke with a jolt of anxiety. Had he overslept? He sat up and found it still dark outside the window behind him. He looked to the bed in the back and the seats in the front. No Iggy and no Gladio. He felt a moment's panic that they had left him but dismissed it quickly. They wouldn't. It was just his insecurity talking, and he'd learned not to listen to it after his sojourn in Gralea.

He heard a grunt and moved to a window on the other side. There was a fire going and Gladio was attacking Ignis with his great sword. Iggy, though, deftly dodged it. It seemed the rest had been good for him.

Prompto's stomach growled and he moved to the tiny kitchen in the RV. He checked the cabinets and fridge and was happy to find milk, two eggs, and three strips of bacon in there. He wasn't as good as Ignis, but he could manage scrambled eggs and bacon.

The bacon snapped his fingers but browned quickly, leaving enough grease to cook the eggs. He'd already beaten them lightly with a little milk. The door opened as he poured them into the pan. Gladio stepped in before turning to help Ignis.

"That smells good," Ignis stated.

"It's not gourmet," Prompto said, "and it could probably use some salt, but bacon and eggs for breakfast sounded good to me. There's not much of it, mind you, but it's better than chili for breakfast."

"Hey!" Gladio exclaimed, in mock offense.

"I'm certain it will be fine," Ignis said.

Gladio got serious. "Food is gonna be scarce, I think, before we get to Lestallum."

"Perhaps we can find something other than daemons to fight out there," Ignis suggested.

"Travelling during daylight," Prompto added hopefully, "maybe we will." He placed a plate and fork in front of Ignis. "Bacon to the right and eggs to the left." He returned to the stove and retrieved the other two plates. He gave one to Gladio and then sat down with the other. He tried to eat slowly, just to savor it, to make it feel like more.

But it didn't take long to finish off one piece of bacon and a few bites of scrambled eggs. "So I owe you a story," he said. "Fortunately, mine has a happy ending."

"Yes, it does." Ignis agreed.

Gladio just nodded so Prompto started. "It was seriously cold when I landed in the snow. The train was gone as soon as I got up, and I couldn't figure out why Noctis had attacked me. Still, I started walking. I knew where we were headed. I walked for days. I can't remember how many. It was just so cold and the snow was deep. It was hard and I finally fell and couldn't get back up. I woke up in a large metal room. I didnt know what or where it was. But I noticed my wrist was bare. Then this computer voice recognized me. It called me a number and said I was a 'compromised unit.' Then Ardyn showed up."

"Of course," Ignis interrupted, "he orchestrated it."

"Yeah," Prompto agreed. "He went on about the computer remembering me and how I should remember the place. He said it was the first Magitek Production Facility and called it my 'home sweet home.' But he did give me my gun back. Actually, there were guns everywhere: sniper rifles, machine guns, bazookas. The computer sent MTs after me to terminate the 'compromised unit,' and I tried to find my way out. I'd find documents and voice recorders that explained the place. This guy, Verstael Besithia, decided that humans would make better MTs, but he couldn't get volunteers and some had psychological problems. So he thought injecting babies would be better. He cloned himself to make infants. I came across pods with people in them. They had my face."

"That had to be creepy," Gladio commented.

Prompto's eyes raised as his eyes widened. "Very! I mean, I knew I was adopted and I knew I came from Niflheim. I spent my whole life terrified someone would find out and not like me anymore. I was so sure no one would want to be my friend, that I ended up not having any. Until Noctis. Then you guys. Then I was so determined not to mess it up.

"I felt like my nightmare was coming to life. I wasn't just from Niflheim. I had this code print, just like the MTs. The MTs had my face. The code print opened doors, even though I was the 'compromised unit.' One of the voice recorders talked of a Lucian spy who stole one of the infants. Was that me? I ended up just outside the lab where they were 'decommissioning' units, destroying people, people like me. This old man was there. And Ardyn. Ardyn called the old man my father.

"It's hard to describe how I felt. I was kind of frozen. He was coming toward me. He said he was turning and that I could turn, too, or remain a failure. I shot him. I killed him. Or I thought I had. But I was just kind of stuck there, trying to make sense of it all, wanting to make it not true. I wanted to still be me, a Lucian, and Noct's friend."

Ignis put a hand on his shoulder and Prompto was glad of the support. "Then Aranea showed up and kicked my ass into gear. We fought our way through the facilities, MTs, and daemons. But she put me on a snowmobile and gave me a map. She said to go to this spot and she's meet me later.

"I found a haven and heated a can of ravioli and tried to tell myself it was as good as you used to make, Iggy. But it didn't work. Then I thought about the code print. I thought about burning it off. But Aranea turned up again told me that was a stupid idea and wouldn't work anyway. She said you guys were worried sick about me and that Noctis had asked her to come find me."

"We _were_ very worried," Ignis confirmed.

"But I don't think," Gladio said, "that Noctis asked her. We left her and went into Tenebrae together."

"Perhaps Ardyn sent her," Ignis suggested. "But why? He spends half the time trying to kill us and the other half helping."

"At least with us," Gladio agreed. "With Noct, his motives are less confusing."

Ignis nodded. "Yes, it appears he wants revenge against all the kings of Lucis. And that can only be when Noctis emerges from the Crystal."

"Anyway," Prompto tried to bring them back to his story, "I was thinking you guys wouldn't want me around anymore if you knew. Or that I'd screw everything up even if you did. It was a full on pity party. Aranea wasn't having it. She tough-loved me, ya know. Told me to think about what I wanted and to stop worrying about what everyone else wanted. She said she was going after the Nif new model in the morning, but I needed to figure out what I wanted.

"I had the trippiest dream that night. I found an MT on the ground, but when I got closer, it was me. Then Noct was there and he was trying to kill me. I had to run from him, but I was still an MT. I couldn't even tell him it was me. Finally, I was me again, and Pryna was there. I followed her and found I wasn't in the snow anymore. I was at the Citadel in Insomnia. It was me, but a kid again, sad and chubby with no friends. I sat on the steps and Pryna gave me a letter. Luna's letter to me after I helped Pryna before. That letter made me seek out Noctis, after I lost the weight and felt confident enough. In the letter this time, there were pictures, my photos of all of us together. Then I was the older me again and I woke up.

"I made my decision. I went with Aranea. Before we could get to the new model, we had to go through an older one. Some giant ape with machine parts grafted on. But again, there were gun racks on the walls so I just kept shooting at it. Aranea used her lance, and it eventually went down. Then this thing called Immortalis ripped through the building. It talked, thanking Ardyn. It was Besithia. He'd somehow transferred his soul into this giant snake-like machine. Its head had six drills spinning around a central drilling core. Aranea found a snowmobile with a mounted turret. She drove and I fired. Immortalis dove into the ground, emerging somewhere else, and it kept taunting us. We killed it once but it got back up. It glowed and the outer drills spread out like giant fingers." He spread his hand out to demonstrate. "They glowed brighter then shot beams at us. So I concentrated on taking those out before they could shoot. Once I got all of them, I went for the core. Finally, it died for good. Aranea pointed me in the direction of Gralea and I took off." He paused for effect.

"But we found you in Zegnautus Keep," Ignis said.

"Yeah, Ardyn caught me again. I woke up in that frame. I couldn't move my arms or legs to get free. It seemed like days but it could have been less. I just hoped and hoped you guys would come for me. And then you did! Like I said, happy ending!"

The first hint of light peeked in from the window.

"It must have been difficult facing your worst fears alone," Ignis stated.

"It was," Prompto agreed. But he really kind of felt good about it now. "But it's like a ton of weight is off my shoulders now, ya know?"

Ignis nodded. "Indeed."

"Sun's up," Gladio pronounced. "Time to get moving. My phone's first. I pointed it to the nearest haven along our path. Hopefully, we'll reach it before it gets too dark."


	4. Four Weeks In

Author's Note: Jumping further ahead now. I do find it interesting to try and portray the POV of a blind person. I had the pleasure of having brunch with a young lady (and others) recently. She has been blind since birth. It's a different perspective, but she did give me some insights to what it's like to be blind. For instance, the previous scene/chapter had Prompto telling Ignis what was on his plate and where it was on his plate. That was done for the young woman that day. It makes total sense but we sighted people might take such a thing for granted.

It's also interesting in that description is not my strong suit. This is because I actually don't visualize well. And with Ignis, I'm limitted in my descriptions even further than my own natural weakness in visualization. I can't use ANY visualization. I have to use only sound, touch, his imagination, his memory. It's definitely challenging!

 **Moments  
Part I: The Journey**

 **Four Weeks In**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Four weeks in and they were still far from Lestallum. Strangely enough, they were growing accustomed to the pace and finding meat animals every couple of days. They were getting stronger, it seemed. Ignis himself felt more self-assured in a fight. Gladio's training was paying off, even if they were still only working on defense. Building muscle memory, Gladio reminded him often. He had to practice until he could dodge or block without thinking about it.

They concentrated on his sense of hearing, which Prompto had likened to that of a dog. Ignis doubted it was as good as that, but he did notice that he heard more now than before. He could hear the wind, even a low breeze when it rustled leaves or grass. He could hear squirrels chasing each other in the trees. He heard the crunch of gravel or the soft thud of a boots on grass as he followed Gladio and Prompto. At night, he heard a cacophony of crickets and bugs and owls and daemons.

His sense of smell was better, too. He could smell nearby demons, of course, but also some animals. Certain trees were more pungent than others. Creeks smelled like clean, running water and the plants on its banks.

Where before, he'd enjoyed a brisk walk on a clear morning, he now preferred the close environment of a building, an RV, or even a tent. He could feel those things. As they walked or ran, he felt like he was in a void, with only the ground beneath his feet being solid. Sound had to fill in some of the world around him. It helped if Gladio or Prompto put a hand on his shoulder or back now and then, connecting the physical world to the audible one.

"Ten percent," Prompto called out.

Ignis fished out his phone and turned it on. He handed it to Prompto who programmed the address into the GPS app.

The computer voice confirmned, "You are on the fastest route. Continue east for three miles." Prompto put the phone back in his hand. Ignis slipped it into a pocket.

"That's gonna put us through a tunnel," Gladio warned. Tunnels meant daemons. Ignis got himself mentally ready for a fight.

He heard them long before they entered the tunnel. But he heard more than daemons. "There are people in there," he told the others. The people were screaming.

The pace of his companions' footsteps increased. Ignis realized when they entered the tunnel, and he struggled to pick out the footsteps from the rest of the sounds surrounding him. They were coming from every direction at the same time. He couldn't pinpoint anything. He stopped, frozen into a panic. He could hear Gladio but he couldn't tell if he was to the left or right, behind him or in front. Or even above him, though he knew that would be absurd. Only when something whizzed through the air close to his head, could he orient himself. He dodged. The daemon followed, growling.

Ignis tried to block all other sounds, honing on this one daemon that was close. He concentrated and heard the crunch of steps coming toward him. It didn't sound like Gladio and it was heavier than Prompto. He dodged another swipe, but not the next. It smarted but he felt he could go on without a potion. He rolled back to his feet and called up his lance. He turned his head to hear the daemon better. It came again and Ignis thrusted the lance at it. It squealed.

Ignis knew exactly where it was now, even if he didn't know where that was in relation to the tunnel and the larger world beyond. He frost-bound his daggers and hit it with one than the other. It tried to parry and Ignis rolled away. He tried to stay close though, to keep it separate from the ambient sound of daemons, fighting, screaming, echoing around him. He dodged and blocked and hit it again and again. Occasionally, he got tripped up by obstacles on the ground.

But it finally went quiet, and he was lost again. He didn't even know if he was facing in toward the tunnel or out toward an opening, be it entrance or exit. He had no reference point. He was, relatively, safe but his companions were fighting still. He just couldn't tell which direction to go to help them. He turned around, hoping he could detect enough light to find an end to the tunnel but it was no use. He tried his phone, but the voice simply stated, "GPS signal lost."

He took a step but stepped on something soft. One of the obstacles that had tripped him before. It had a hard core. A body part? He couldn't move. Forward or backward, left or right. He tried his cane, moving it this way and that to try and find a path.

The sounds were getting farther away. That was something. He moved toward them, slowly. His cane hit something hard. He reached out and found the tunnel wall. His void now had at least one border. Was the noise of the fight, then, to the left or right? With difficulty, he decided right. But when he tried to move that way, he found his way strewn with more soft things that didn't move. The noise was quieter. Less screams. Ignis just kept one hand on the wall, and felt with his cane for a place to put one foot and then next.

He had just set his left foot down when something grabbed his right ankle. A hand. Ignis fell forward and tried to brace himself with his hand. But it slipped on something slippery and he went down hard on his shoulder. It smelled of iron. Blood. "Help," a thin voice breathed. No daemon then. A civilian. Ignis got to his knees and turned back toward the hand on his ankle. The hand moved and grabbed his shoulder. Ignis followed the hand to the source of the voice. The civilian was laying on the ground.

"Am I going to die?" a man's voice asked. It sounded pained and choked.

Ignis didn't know what to do. He didn't recognize the voice. It had to be one of the people he'd heard before. "I can't see," Ignis told him. Was the man going to die? Could a potion save him? Or would it waste a potion? "Where are you hurt?" he asked, hoping he could narrow down his options.

There was panic in his voice when the man answered, "I can't feel my legs."

Ignis reached forward with one hand and found the man's shoulder. He passed his hand down the man's side until the man's side wasn't there anymore. There was a warm mushiness where his hip should have been. Ignis swallowed and felt with his other hand for the man's legs. They were too far away. A potion would not help this man.

"I'm sorry," Ignis told him. "I can't help you."

"My family," the man choked out through tears.

"I don't know." Ignis felt terrible. "I can't see. I'm blind."

"Kill me then," the man pleaded. "It hurts."

"I can't," Ignis told him in a whisper.

But the man didn't speak again. The hand that had clenched his shoulder fell away. The man was unconscious or dead.

Ignis realized then that the tunnel was quiet. There were no more sounds of fighting. No more screaming. No more daemons. Just ambient tunnel sounds that didn't help to orient him in any way. He'd lost his cane in the fall. His gloves were bloody. He didn't know where his friends were. What if they were dead, too? He reached out, trying to find the wall again, but there was nothing there. He was stuck. All around him was darkness. His mind filled out blood and bodies on the ground around him. He could be near the entrance, or the exit, or neither. He couldn't even stand for fear he'd fall again. He was alone.

His mouth had gone dry and his breaths came faster and faster. He realized he was hyperventilating but he couldn't cup his hands over his mouth, covered in blood as they were. He couldn't stop it.

"Iggy!" Prompto's voice!

Ignis couldn't catch his breath to cry out. Which way had it come from?

"Ignis?" Gladio! They were both alive.

 _Please find me,_ he thought.

He heard footsteps, fast and sharp, but which way. They slowed, closer. "Iggy?"

"I couldn't tell," he managed, "where the sounds were. He grabbed me. I fell."

"It's okay, Iggy," Gladio's voice was so close. Behind him. His strong arms lifted him from under his shoulders. Once he was back on his feet, Ignis realized he was shaking. He couldn't stop. Gladio didn't let go. "Just slow down. Breathe."

Ignis tried to take deep breaths. Gladio was his wall now. He could orient in one direction.

"Here," Prompto said, close. "I've got your cane. There's a stream on the other side where you can clean up."

"The sounds were everywhere," Ignis said, trying to explain. "I couldn't find my way to you."

"Tunnels are echoey," Gladio agreed. "We should have realized that" The shaking has stopped. "Ya good?"

Ignis nodded. Gladio's hand left him. "Stand right there," Gladio said. "I'll clear a path."

Ignis turned in place to face the sounds of him shifting obstacles. "Could you save any of them?"

"No," Prompto said, very close. He put his hand on Ignis's back and led him forward. "We tried."

"Me, too," Ignis replied. He heard their footsteps again, bouncing lightly off the tunnel walls. But Prompto's hand didn't leave him even as the void became less dark and the sounds of nature fell into place around them. Squirrels and birds, the occasional screech of something farther away. The crunch of pebbles and the babbling of a stream ahead of them.

"Turn left," said the GPS voice from inside his pocket.


	5. Party of Five or More

Author's Note: I decided on a title. Thank you, Internet. The Latin word for "moments" is apparently "momentis." Seemed kind of fitting to go with some of the names in FFXV. I have started a bit of pattern in my "chapter" names. I don't think I'll be able to keep it up long-term. So I may break the whole collection up into Parts. Such as Part I being The Journey. Part II being Lestallum, etc. Remember these are moments and may not always have a particular plot.

 **Momentis  
Part I: The Journey**

 **Party of Five … or More**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Erich was just five years old. He complained a lot and asked way too many questions. His mother, Sella, did little to discourage him most of the time, as she was traumatized by her husband's death. Ignis had heard them first, as they approached camp one night. Gladio, then, had gone to greet—and assess—them. Sella then had said nothing, but only clung wide-eyed to her son (or so Prompto had told him). That was a week ago.

Prompto had told Ignis that Sella had lost that wild look. She was starting to come to grips and had managed to tell them what had happened. But she only talked about that at night when Erich was sleeping.

They had been living in their cabin on the lake, far away from politics and the wars, since before Erich was born. But as the nights grew longer, there were sounds in the dark they didn't recognize. One of them came very close to their house. Richert, her husband, had gone out to investigate. A few minutes later, Sella heard him shout to her anxiously, "Take Erich and run!"

She hadn't wanted to leave him but he insisted that he would follow. She told Erich they were going on an adventure, and the two of them ran out the back and away from the lake. Richert came running behind them. But menacing creatures like she had never seen came bounding after him. Richert kissed her on the cheek and told her to keep running and to not look back. He would hold them off.

All she had then were the sounds, sounds of her husband fighting, screaming, being ripped apart until they all faded into the night behind her. She saw the haven and ran toward it. She didn't remember the rest of that night.

Ignis certainly didn't mind helping the two of them. But he did mind Erich's constant questions. They were usually lobbied at Ignis because his eyes 'looked different.' The most common question then was "Can you see this?"

Three months, two weeks, and five days since Gralea. They'd mostly gone on foot. They had managed to find a car for a short time. It had run out of gas before they found a filling station. Prompto was quite broken hearted that they'd yet to see any chocobos. One night he stepped away from the others and asked his phone how long until they reached Lestallum. Forty-one days was the answer. Forty-one days if they made no stops to rest, to eat, to fight.

It weighed on Ignis, fraying his nerves. In Altissia and on the train, to some extent, he'd been able to piece together a sense of his surroundings using the senses he had left, and memories where they served him. Add in logic and he had felt fairly confident he could navigate without more trouble than he might otherwise. But now, on the run as they were, he had no idea where he was in the world so he had no memory to draw on. Logic served to bring a certain level of understanding based on his senses. There were trees, rocky ground, rolling hills, or such. But day by day, hour by hour, all of it changed, and he had to start trying to build the world in his mind anew. When he couldn't, he felt he was running headlong into a void, as if he weren't in the world, but merely existing on a horizontal plane, following in a featureless nowhere that teased him with background noise.

At first, he'd welcomed Erich's chatter then. It had helped to secure him to a real place, even if he couldn't perceive much of it. But the mental strain of that constant world-building, coupled with fifty odd "Can you see this?" questions, was just too much.

Prompto must have realized he was struggling because Ignis heard him nudge Gladio and whisper. Gladio came toward him right after that. "I'll bet your feet are getting tired of all this running, Erich," he said. "Would you like a ride?"

"Piggy-back?" Erich asked. He sounded very excited at the prospect.

"Or shoulders," Gladio replied. "You pick."

"Shoulders! So I can be tall!" Ignis then heard Gladio hoist the child up, Erich giggling the whole time.

"Careful!" Sella called out from just behind him. "Hang on with your feet!"

"Don't worry, ma'am." Gladio assured her. "I've had a lot of practice. I had a little sister."

"I'm so sorry," she quickly added.

"You misunderstand," Ignis told her, realizing she'd gotten the wrong idea. "She's just no longer little. She's in Lestallum."

"Oh." She sounded relieved. "I'm sorry about Erich's pestering you. He just isn't used to other people. He's never met anyone like you before."

"Anyone blind." Ignis said, not feeling very generous at the moment. "Or anyone who looks like me. I get it. Well, I'm not used to being blind, so I need to concentrate on using all my other senses to not fall flat on my face."

"I'm sorry," she said again and then didn't speak again that day. Ignis regretted speaking to her harshly but he had been quite truthful. He therefore didn't bring it up again. Gladio kept Erich engaged and Ignis enjoyed the mental break that provided.

As they neared the next haven, the first in two days, Ignis heard people talking and laughing. More people. More children.

"Welcome fellow travelers!" shouted a man's voice as they neared. "Come rest by the fire!"

Hands clapped them on their shoulders and bodies shifted out of chairs. "How old is your boy?" a woman asked.

"No," Gladio stated. "We met him and his mother on the way. But Erich here is five."

Prompto introduced Sella. "I'm Prompto, and these are my friends, Gladio and Ignis."

"I'm Charles," the booming voice that welcomed them stated. "My wife, Kirsa, is with the kids. I'm sure Erich would love to join them playing."

Sella thanked him and Ignis heard her footsteps and Erich's move toward the laughter.

"This is my brother, Karl and this fellow here is Darin. We ran into him a couple days back. Strong fighter. Good addition to our gaggle of refugees. You fellas heading to Lestallum, too?"

"Yes," Ignis replied as Prompto lead him to a chair. "It would seem the logical place, what with the power station."

"I hear their fortifying as we speak," said another male voice. Either Karl or Darin. Ignis didn't know which name went to which voice at this point.

"Where are you from?" Charles asked.

"Insomnia," Prompto answered.

Gladio added, "Though we've just come from Gralea."

"Gralea?" the second man repeated. "You must be strong fighters yourselves to come all that way, and with a woman, a child, and a blind man."

"That blind man," Prompto sharply replied, "can hold his own more times than not, and he doesn't need to be talked about like he's not sitting right there."

The man quickly spoke up again. "My apologies. I meant no offense. I've never known a blind person to fight."

"I fought many a foe before I lost my sight," Ignis said, hoping to ease the tension. "I'm having to adapt to this new challenge."

"Color me impressed, then," said Charles. "Our chances of getting to Lestallum safely just went up, I think!"

Peace restored, Ignis relaxed and began to build a mental picture of the campground and the people in it. By the end of dinner—a vegetable stew to which they'd contributed some Garula meat—he'd learned Karl's and Darin's voices and been introduced to Kirsa properly. The other children were Forrest and Kala, aged four and six respectively. Erich, thankfully, was more interested in the two of them than he was in Ignis.

The women and children shared the one tent and the men slept under the stars that were surely there. Prompto slept to his right and Gladio to his left. Ignis felt no threat from the new people, but he was grateful just the same. He hoped Darin and the others might join their training in the morning. He was becoming quite familiar with Gladio's fighting style. New training partners might shake things up.


	6. Out of the Frying Pan

Author's Note: Title of this chapter is subject to change. I may go with an idioms theme this time around. I'll see if I can stick to it. I went back and watched all of Noctis's questions to Talcott after his return (Thanks, YouTube) and it kind of messed up some of my ideas. So I may not take ALL of canon into account, especially about Aranea. I may. But it also added some new ideas for scenes later in the story.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Out of the Frying Pan**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

"Lestallum!" That call trickled back to them from the front of the pack. Their smaller group of a dozen had merged with other groups as they all moved toward Lestallum. Ignis couldn't count the voices anymore as they all blended into a minor cacophony. Gladio estimated one hundred or more. Or less. They'd lost a few on the way.

Not everyone could fit in a campground at night. Children, those who tended them, and the infirm got priority spots with everyone else bedding down as close as they could manage. The large group attracted daemons and always, a number of individuals had to stand watch and be ready to defend the sleepers.

Some people handled the exhaustion quietly. Ignis fell into this group. He spoke less and less, using all his concentration to stay near his friends. Some complained. Prompto was an example of this. He blamed no one—well except for the daemons—but he voiced his frustrations. That made it easier for Ignis to find him, so Ignis didn't mind.

Others, however, got churlish and irritated with others in the party. Gladio wasn't so much in this group as he was irritated by that group and it soured his mood. Erich and Sella were lost in the crowd with the other children who were either crying or whining or back-talking their parents in the center of the party. That sound, of course, drew more daemons, so the fighters on the outside ended up angry with the children.

Ignis, for his part, fought alongside Gladio and Prompto. He did not mix with the other fighters as he was far too tired to fend off their questions or insistences that he should be with the infirm.

That cry of 'Lestallum' had changed everyone's moods. There was a wave of energy that moved through the party. Their voices sounded of relief and hope. The bickering ended. The children quieted.

"I can see the walls," Gladio called. He was tall enough to see over many of the party's members. "Someone's coming out."

A new call floated back to them from the front. "The Marshal!" Ignis grabbed Gladio as he was still close. Gladio stopped Prompto and the three of them let the others pass them by.

"We should try to speak with Cor Leonis," Ignis told them quietly. "Let us hang back so we can garner his full attention."

"What are you thinking?" Gladio's voice was not harsh.

"No one has asked us about Noct," Ignis replied. "We've been lucky no one recognized us for his retainers. I doubt that will be the case in Lestallum. We need to decide how we will answer. I, for one, am far too exhausted to make a wise decision on that point. Cor could help."

"Good point," Gladio agreed. So they waited, leaning on each other as if they just needed the rest. Which they did.

Finally, Ignis heard the last footsteps move in front of him. Prompto's hand on his back confirmed this and they followed the rest as the large group moved up the hill toward the city.

And then there was screaming. Daemons. The center of the group began to stampede forward while the fighters at the periphery met the various attacks. The distinct sound of an iron giant climbing out of the ground behind them meant that Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto had their target. They summoned their weapons, and their last strengths, and set to.

"I was wondering when I'd see you." Cor's voice. He was fighting beside them. "Noctis?"

"Perhaps that should wait until we're secure behind the gates," Ignis suggested.

"What happened to your eyes?"

Ignis sighed.

"That, too," Prompto replied before letting go with a shot from his pistol.

"Fair enough." The four of them brought down the giant and then moved to the next daemon closer to the city.

Cor ushered them from one place to the next, one fight to the next. Then he called out, "That's the last of them, close the gates!" Ignis heard a very heavy gate, narrow, but thick, slide back to the ground with a thud. The crowd of people was gone. Ignis could only hear a few others milling about.

"My sister?" Gladio asked. Ignis could hear the worry in his voice.

"She's fine," Cor rassured him. "She's actually been organizing volunteers to train as hunters."

There was pride in his voice then, "She's an Amicitia!"

"That she is." Cor changed the subject. "You three look dead on your feet. When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?"

"Sleep?" Prompto asked. "What's that?"

"Too long," Ignis replied.

"You fight pretty well for a blind man." Cor was never one for small talk. Ignis simply nodded. He was very tired. It was Cor then who put his hand on Ignis's shoulder and they began to walk. "Come this way. We'll talk tomorrow."

Cor led them up a hill, upstairs, into a building, up more stairs, down a hall and finally to a room. He led Ignis to the bed. He rummaged through something. It sounded like he was packing. "Is this your room?" Ignis asked.

"It's yours now," Cor replied. "There's a barracks for hunters and fighters. I'll sleep there. I'll find bunks for the two of you."

Gladio and Prompto. Why were they being separated?

"Ignis can fight, too," Prompto argued. "You said so yourself."

"Tomorrow," Cor repeated. "Sleep here tonight. I'll send Talcott in the morning to take you to breakfast." The door opened and closed.

"Is he going to split us up?" Prompto asked.

"I don't know and I don't like it either," Gladio said. "Let's just get some sleep tonight. I'm beyond exhausted."

"Is this the only bed?" Ignis asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Gladio offered. "I've got the floor right here."

"I think I could actually sleep standing up," Prompto added. Then he yawned. Ignis heard him plop onto the floor beside Gladio. If he wasn't so tired himself, he might have argued. He did not wanted to be treated like an invalid. Though he secretly feared he was one.

* * *

When the knock came on the door, Ignis woke. His stomach growled but he really wanted to go back to sleep. Prompto—his footsteps were lighter than Gladio's—answered the door. "It's good to see you, sirs," said Talcott. "Are you ready for breakfast?"

"Starving," Prompto replied.

"I'd really like to see Iris," Gladio said.

"She's saving you seats!" Talcott told them. Ignis rose and Prompto led him behind the boy. Down the hall, down the steps, across a room—a lobby? Was he in a hotel?—then outside, down a street and into another building filled with the sounds of people talking and eating, dishes and silverware clanking.

"Gladio!" Iris's voice called out over the din. "Over here!"

As they came to the table, Ignis felt no chairs, but his cane hit something lower. A bench? He confirmed with his hand and stepped over so he could sit.

Iris and Gladio sat down after what must have been a prolonged hug. Prompto went with Talcott to get plates. "I'm so happy to see you three safe," Iris proclaimed. "I'm sorry about your eyesight, though, Ignis. It must be hard."

Ignis nodded lightly. "I'm sure there are others who have lost more."

Prompto and Talcott returned. Prompto sat beside him and gave him the layout of his plate. Biscuits and gravy and some apple slices. There was water to drink.

Iris and Gladio talked about everything that had gone on in Lestallum as the nights grew longer and the daemons showed up. Ignis ate in sleepy silence. He did note, however, that neither she, nor Talcott, asked about Noctis.

"Where's Cor?" Prompto asked.

"He's gone to Hammerhead to get Cid," Iris replied. "He should be back in an hour or so. You guys can get cleaned up and rest some until he gets back." Ignis liked that idea. He hadn't had a shower in months.

After breakfast, Talcott led them back to Cor's—Ignis's—room. "Where are the showers?" Ignis asked when they were alone again.

"You lucked out," Prompto told him. "Got your own, right here."

"Only question is who goes first," Gladio said.

"I got the bed," Ignis replied. "I'll shower last." He heard them play rock/paper/scissors and then Prompto gave a brief cheer.

"I'll try and save you both some hot water," he said then moved to the right side of the room. He closed a door and, within a few minutes, Ignis heard the shower running.

Ignis moved to the bed and slid far over toward the wall. "Head to foot?" he offered Gladio.

"Deal," Gladio replied. The bed sank a bit as he laid down. Ignis was glad Gladio had left his shoes on. He wasn't sure he'd survive the smell if Gladio had taken them off.

"Your turn, Iggy."

When Ignis woke again, Prompto had taken Gladio's place. He smelled better. Gladio helped Ignis get up from the foot of the bed so that Prompto could continue resting. Gladio led him to the bathroom and gave him a brief tour. He closed the door and left Ignis to it.

Ignis relieved himself then undressed. In his mind, he built an image of the bathroom. He closed his eye and relied on that visualization—tweaking it now and then when needed—as he showered and dried himself. He heard voices in the room beyond so he dressed as quickly as he could manage.

Ignis left the bathroom and joined the others. Ignis heard Cor and Cid. Prompto led him back to the bed. The little room had gotten crowded.

Cid cleared his throat. "Let's get started by addressing the anak in the room. What happened to your eyes?"

Ignis had no desire to tell the whole story again. "I wore the Ring of the Lucii."

Cid blew out a long breath. Cor spoke. "I trust you had a good reason for doing so?"

"Of course," Ignis said, a bit insulted at the question. "I did it to protect Noctis."

"Where is it now?" Cor asked.

"Noctis was wearing it," Gladio stated.

"And where is Noctis?" Cid asked.

"Gralea," Prompto said sullenly.

"Zegnautus Keep," Gladio clarified.

"Inside the Crystal," Ignis finished.

"Inisde?" Cid asked.

"We went to Gralea to get the Crystal," Gladio told them, relieving Ignis of at least some of the tale. "And to find Prompto. Ardyn had taken him. We fought our way to a loading dock and were overwhelmed with daemons. We sent Noctis ahead to go to the Crystal. By the time we caught up to him, he was inside it."

Cor wasn't quite convinced. "How do you know he was in it if you didn't see it?"

So Ignis told them of his vision. He recited the words of the strange voice as much as he remembered.

They were all quiet for a while after he was done. They all knew now that Noct would have to die to return light to the world.

Cid surprised him though, when he spoke. "Well that explains a lot."

"Like what?" Prompto asked.

"Reggie was real melancholy after Noctis was chosen," Cid replied. "He moped and moped. He knew the prophecy better than me."

"You think he knew Noctis would die?" Ignis asked him.

"Yes."

Ignis let that sink in. King Regis had sent them all away from Insomnia before it fell to keep Noctis safe. He had put up with Noctis's snide attitude toward him with more patience than Ignis thought any father could have. He almost never reprimanded Noctis. Unless he'd put his safety at risk.

"So what do we tell anyone when they ask about the King?" Gladio finally asked.

Cid brought up an important point. "We can't go around saying he's gonna die, that's for sure. That'd kill morale faster than a foras stampede."

"We could say he's gone to prepare," Cor said. "That he'll return and defeat the darkness. Stay away from specifics. How long until he returns anyway?"

"We don't have specifics," Prompto answered. "But Iggy saw him in the vision. He was older. Years older, but not old old."

"Years?" Cor repeated. "What are we going to do when there's no more daylight? How will crops grow?"

Crops. Plants needed sunlight to grow. Herbivores relied on plants for food. Predators relied on the herbivores. People needed both. And sunlight provided vitamins and mood regulation for some. The whole ecosystem would be compromised.

"Good thing we've got the smartest man still alive in this here room," Cid said.

It took a moment for Ignis to realize Cid meant him. "You really expect me to solve all this?"

"Not today," Cid replied. "And not alone, no. At present, we still have about four hours of sunlight a day. We've got a little time to think up some emergency measures. Then we've got years to work out better ones."

"That's why I gave you the room, Ignis," Cor told him. "You'll be saying here in Lestallum for the foreseeable future."

Ignis felt overwhelmed. A ton of weight had just dropped on his shoulders. "You do realize I'm blind," Ignis said, sharper perhaps than he should have.

"That _is_ gonna complicate things, I'm sure." Cid said.

"But it's not your sight we'll all need," Cor added. "It's your insight. Your vision."

"You were chosen for this, Ignis," Cid stated.

Cor stood up. "Gladio, Prompto," he said. "Walk with me."

* * *

Prompto didn't want to leave Iggy like that. He'd had a stricken expression. But technically, Cor was the head of the Crownsguard. "What did he mean by that?" Prompto asked him after they had walked far enough from Iggy's room to not be heard.

Cor kept walking. "Ignis was six when he was chosen by King Regis to take care of Noctis. To eventually be his advisor."

"Six?" Prompto repeated. "He was just a kid."

Cor nodded. "Yes, and his potential was obvious. He was already doing schoolwork three years ahead of his peers. By bringing him into the court, King Regis could make sure he got the best schooling and training. He didn't insist on any of that with Noctis."

"Noct didn't want all that," Prompto argued.

"No, he didn't. And King Regis didn't force the issue. Noctis should have gotten more etiquette training, more schooling. He should have sat in on all those Council meetings. But it was Ignis. It's so much easier to see in hindsight."

Gladio stopped them both but kept his voice low. "You think Regis knew Noctis would never reign?"

"Yes, so he made sure Ignis could. Not as a King, perhaps, but as a leader." Cor started walking again. "I'll show you to the barracks." Cor got them walking again.

Prompto realized that Cid was probably laying all that out for Iggy just now. He kind of understood it. Iggy was trained to advise a king. He could advise the people instead. But it must have been heavy to not only accept that your childhood friend had to die and you'd have to run a country in a cataclysmic crisis.

Cor must have realized where his thoughts were going. "He won't be alone. Lestallum had a city government, civil servants. They've never dealt with these numbers of refugees or such a crisis as this. They're giving in to the chaos. They need someone to guide them."

"And what are we going to be doing?" Gladio asked.

"Security," Cor replied. "We keep the daemons out, help get the refugees in alive, accommodate travel when needed, hunt for food and supplies."

Finally, they stepped inside the barracks. There were bunks, three high, lining the walls with training space in the center. Cor led them to the bunks in the back on the right side. "Bottom's mine. You younger ones can climb up."

As if he was any less nimble, Prompto thought. "Guess that means I get the top," he said.

"Iris heads up the ladies' barracks on the other side of the Outlook. Not as many women in the fight but we need them just the same. We'll work out training schedules and put you on the roster." He led them over to a table with some chairs at the back of the room. "You were in Gralea? What can you tell us?"

Gladio handled that one. "The emperor is dead. Got turned into a foras daemon, if you can believe it. We killed it. The High Commander is also dead."

"You killed him, too?" Cor asked.

"The second time," Prompto replied. "Right, Gladio?"

Gladiolus nodded. "The Chancellor killed him the first time. Seems he turned traitor on the Empire. Then he was turned into a daemon and sent after us. So we killed him the second time."

"Iggy actually turned him," Prompto said.

"How?"

Prompto backtracked. He didn't know that Ignis really turned him. "He was kind of leaning that way as the Empire killed his sister. But by the time Ignis was, well, finished with the Ring, Ravus wished him well, and Noctis before he walked right past us without a second thought."

Gladio added, "He tried to return the King Regis's glaive to Noctis, but it was Ardyn in disguise."

"Yeah," Prompto said, feeling the irony. "He can do that."

"The Chancellor has been seen in Insomnia," Cor told them. "Iris and I led a group to evacuate civilians from there. He's up to something."

"He's the Accursed," Prompto explained. "The one in Ignis's vision. Ignis fought him with the Ring."

Cor was silent but he nodded. Finally, he slapped the table and stood up. "Well, you can't sleep off a couple months exhaustion in one night. Take the rest of the day off. We'll get started tomorrow."

Cor walked away. Prompto looked at Gladio and Gladio looked at him. "Iggy!" they both said at the same time.

They found Ignis still sitting where they'd left him. He was alone. Cid must have left. Prompto realized now that his hair was still down. He hadn't had time to fix it after his shower. It made him look younger. It reminded Promopto of how he had looked when he was hurt.

"How are you holding up?" Gladio asked him.

"I never put it together," Ignis said. He had a hollow look now. "All the preparation, the training, the responsibilities."

"You didn't know the part about Noct," Prompto told him.

"I did in Altissia," Ignis argued. "And I didn't put it together."

"You had other things on your mind." Gladio grabbed the only chair in the room and sat down. "It's a big lift but King Regis had faith in you. I know you can do it. Once you get that head of yours around it, you'll do great."

"I don't even know where to start."

Prompto sat beside him on the bed. "Well, you don't have to start today. We've got the day off, too. We could explore the city, see what's changed."

Ignis didn't even turn toward him. "You can. I cannot."

"Of course not," Prompto said. He tried to keep it light but he wasn't used to negativity in Ignis. Even when he'd been mopey on the train, he'd still said positive things or just kept quiet. "I've got pictures," he offered.

"I can't see pictures."

Prompto chuckled. "No, but Gladio and I can. We can find the same spots and describe what's different now."

Ignis didn't say anything. Well, at least that wasn't negative.

Gladio got up. He took Ignis's arm and stood him up. "It'll do you good to get out of this room. We'll hit the highlights then come back for a nap. I, for one, am still very tired."

Prompto took his other side and they marched Ignis out into the hallway. Then he let Gladio do the guiding as he flipped through his photos.


	7. R and R

Author's Note: I think I'm finally get a handle on how I want Ignis/Aranea to go. That will probably be the most out-of-canon I go. There's no hint of that relationship in the game. But I like it so I'm going to go there. I think I see how Ignis is going to go, to try to get some realistic feeling for how he'd feel about all this but get him to the canonical confident guy he is when Talcott talks about him going out hunting on his own, or exploring the old royal tombs. I will deviate from canon a bit on that. The cane. Ignis has no sixth sense. I can't just know when a rock is going to be in his path. Rocks don't make noise. They don't smell much. So the only way he'd know to walk around them is to feel them. And he's not going to go around on his hands and knees. He will still need the cane. But maybe he finds a way to hang it from his belt when he's not using it, like in a fight. Something. I'll have to work on that.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **R and R**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Aranea Highwind was glad she had a few days off. Biggs and Wedge were handling their newly-formed army. There were still plenty of MTs around Niflheim and other territories that used to be under Empire control. There weren't a lot of civilians left in those parts but those that were needed protection. So they'd been real busy these last sixth months as the Empire had crumbled.

If someone wanted some rest and relaxation, though, they came to Lestallum. It wasn't quite the resort town that Galdin Quay used to be, but it had strong walls and strong lights. A person could feel relatively safe in Lestallum. Even if one felt hungry and overcrowded.

Aranea had managed to find a bunk in the ladies' barracks with Gladiolus's sister, of all people. She was a lot smaller than her giant of a brother, but she had a lot of grit. She even asked Aranea to spar with her while she was in town. Most people who knew Aranea didn't want to spar with her. They usually ended up sore and disappointed. Iris, however, appreciated the challenge. Daemons wouldn't go easy on her, she had said. And she did get a few hits in here and there.

The first time Aranea had met Iris, she hadn't known of the relation. Aranea had, in passing, mentioned seeing Noctis and his entourage minus one in Tenebrae, and Iris had gotten very excited to hear about the largest member of that trio. Aranea told her all she knew, though, in truth, she hadn't paid Gladiolus much notice. He was too showy for her tastes. Noctis was too lovelorn. Prompto was a child.

No, the one she had noticed was the one who'd gone blind. She'd first taken notice of him before that, of course. He fought with a lance at times. That had been the first thing to catch her eye. But she found him to be proper and classy, clean-shaven, never a hair out of place or a wrinkle in his clothing. He was a well-dressed man at all times. He had a confidence to him that was not showy and was a fierce, skilled fighter. That classiness with that fierce confidence was a strange package. She'd never met anyone quite like him. And he could cook.

Well, he could cook and fight before. She'd been surprised and maybe a touch disappointed that they hadn't left him with her Tenebrae. They were headed into dangerous territory and he was blind. How could he possibly keep up and not end up dead in a fight?

Maybe he had, she thought, not without a measure of sadness. No one had seen or heard from then since Biggs and Wedge had escaped from the train. And the two of them had barely made it back in one piece. Two pieces. Two men. Anyway, they told her how the train had been attacked and beset by daemons. The boys had taken their car and headed into the Keep. Biggs and Wedge had gone the other way. Once they'd managed to call her, she'd sent an airship to bring them back to Tenebrae.

Aranea wasn't used to sitting and relaxing though. Iris wasn't around for training until well later into the evening. Dinner was still a few hours off. Rations sucked but they came with the crowds. And she knew it would likely get worse as the days shortened and shortened.

The sun was up now though for its brief visit in the sky, so she decided to enjoy it and take a walk.

She didn't hang out at the Outlook like so many others did. She needed to be somewhere less crowded. So she left the higher parts of the city and wandered down below. Some shops had opened up near the gates. They took gil or bartered items so she decided to see if there was anything interesting to buy.

She wasn't sure exactly what prompted her to look back up at the Outlook just when she had, but she found herself stuck to the spot and unable to look away. Gladiolus, the great hulk of a man that he was, first caught her eye. She recognized the shortcake with him. But it was the third, the man between them that held her gaze. She didn't recognize him at first. His hair was down, but it was lighter than Noctis's. He was taller than Prompto, but not quite as tall as Gladiolus. The dark glasses gave him away. She noted he wasn't standing as erect as she remembered, but it was him. Ignis had survived.

Someone bumped into her. She looked down and saw a young boy, maybe ten years old. "So sorry, ma'am," he said. She recognized him as the one who hung around Iris or the Marshal. She looked back up but the trio was gone.

"I believe I just saw King Noctis's retainers up there," she told the boy. Talcott, she remembered. He was a very polite young man.

"Yes, ma'am. They arrived yesterday with a large group of refugees. I believe they had come all the way from Gralea."

"Just the three of them?" she asked. "Where was Noctis?"

"They say King Noctis is away, gathering his strength to defeat the Accursed who's making the world go dark."

There was more to that story, she was sure. "I'd like to visit with them, to catch up. Do you know where they're staying?"

"Mister Scientia is in the hotel." Talcott pointed in the direction of one of the older hotels in Lestallum. "Mr. Amicitia and Mr. Argentum are staying in the hunter's barracks."

Why not together? she wondered. Was it because he was blind? She thanked the boy and he went on his way. Aranea decided she'd try to find them at dinner and resumed her walk to the shops.

A few hours later, she was waiting near the door to the dining hall, scanning the crowds as they lined up for the evening rations. This dining hall was closest to the hotel as well as both barracks so they were sure to come this way. Besides, she was sure Gladiolus would eat with his sister.

"Aranea!" that sister called, waving. "Care to join us?"

"Will your brother be joining you?" Aranea asked.

"So you heard he made it back." Iris grinned wide. "I'm sure Gladio and the others will sit with us. We'll make room."

So Aranea joined her and got in line. But when Gladio joined them, only Prompto was with him.

"Where's Ignis?" Iris asked, saving Aranea the trouble.

"He said he'd rather sleep." Prompto said. "Hey, Aranea! Good to see you again."

"Did Biggs and Wedge make it out okay?" Gladiolus asked her.

"They did," she assured him. She turned to Prompto. "But they didn't know you. You must have found your friends in Gralea."

"Not quite," Prompto told her. "Ardyn caught me again." He shrugged. "He wasn't very nice about it. But Noct and the others found me in Zegnautus Keep."

"Not very nice is an understatement," Gladio added. "The Chancellor is enemy number one. He's the cause of all this."

Aranea wasn't surprised. "He always was a slimy bastard," she agreed. "Rumor has it he turned the emperor and high commander into daemons."

"Rumor's right," Gladio confirmed. "We took care of them, though."

"That explains a lot." They picked up their plates and found room at one of the tables. Aranea caught them up on the shape of things in Niflheim. "I've gone back to fighting," she told them. "Only I'm on the right side now."

As they finished dinner, she noticed the two men yawning. "Rough day?" she asked.

"Rough couple of months," Prompto replied. "Big group, lots of daemons, not enough sleep."

"Yeah, I know that feels," she said. "Helps when you've got airships."

"Oh, man!" he exclaimed. "I wish we'd had one of those. Or chocobos."

Gladio shook his head. "It's always chocobos with him."

Aranea chuckled. "I'd like to say hello to Ignis," she said, picking up her empty plate. "Which room is he in?"

"Two thirteen," Prompto replied. "How'd you know he was in a room?"

"I ran into the polite young man, Talcott."

"Ah," he got serious and caught her arm. "But listen, please. Try not to be too hard on him. He's got a lot on his shoulders."

Aranea just smiled and turned toward the hotel.

* * *

There was a knock on his door. Three knocks, to be precise. Gladio and Prompto would open the door after they knocked. Whoever this was had not. Talcott perhaps?

The door was pretty much straight out from the side of the bed. The side of the last quarter of bed anyway. He'd managed that much. He walked that way, his left arm outstretched. When his fingers brushed the door, he felt for its edge and followed it down to the knob. He opened the door and waited for the knocker to identify himself.

"Hello, Specss." Aranea? "Mind if I come in?"

Ignis was taken aback, but he stepped aside for her and shut the door after he'd heard her pass. It sounded as if she had sat in the chair to the right of him, turned as he was now, away from the door. Ignis wished he'd thought to grab his cane. The bed was too low to find it with his hands. Still, he remembered he'd also taken off his shoes. He squared his shoulders and walked forward, toward where the bed should be. He felt the edge of the comforter on the top of his foot. That allowed him to sit with some measure of dignity.

"Were you expecting someone else, maybe?" Aranea asked.

"I did not know you were in town." Ignis remembered he'd also taken off his glasses. He reached for the side table and brushed them with his fingers. He put them on and turned toward her.

"Just taking a break," she said. "There's a lot of cleanup work to do in the former Empire territories. Missed you at dinner."

"I wasn't hungry," Ignis told her. He'd never really been alone with her, he realized. He hadn't even fixed his hair.

"I know how meager breakfast is around here and they don't serve lunch, so yeah, that's a lie."

She was perceptive. "I didn't feel like navigating the crowd."

"That's closer to the truth. Maybe it's more that now that you're not always on the move, you have to deal with the fact that you can't see."

Very perceptive. Though that wasn't all of it. "Closer," he admitted.

"I thought you were handling it fairly well in Tenebrae. This should be easier, I would have thought. What happened?"

Ignis thought about that. Noctis was locked in a Crystal, for one. But that just wasn't something he felt he should tell her. The journey from Gralea, then. That had sapped a lot of his confidence. "Six months of getting from there to here," he told her.

"Were the big guy and shortcake mean to you?"

"No!" Ignis said quickly, defending his friends. "Certainly not."

"So it was being blind on that journey."

He nodded once. "It didn't make the journey any easier."

"So what's it like?"

"Being blind?"

"Yeah."

"No one's ever asked me that." No one had. Not his friends, not Noct, or Cor, no one.

He heard her move closer, then her hand met his. "I just did." It was the softest he'd ever heard her voice.

Ignis took a deep breath. "On a good day, I can create a mental image of what's around me. What I hear and smell. What I can touch. What I remember or can intuit logically. The bathroom, for example. I haven't quite managed this room yet."

She squeezed his hand lightly. "And on a bad day?"

Ignis realized he wanted to tell her. He wanted to share his experience with someone, even if it revealed a vulnerability. "I'm not in one place long enough or don't have enough information to build that image. I know there's a real world around me, but it _feels_ like only the closest things are real. The rest is just empty darkness, an endless void with invisible obstacles and dangers."

"I'll stick with my earlier assessment: That sucks."

Ignis sighed again. "Indeed."

"Well, let's build that image of this room, then."

He turned toward her again. "Now?"

"Why not?" She stood up. She still had his hand. Was this really the same woman who'd kicked Prompto's ass? She went on. "This is your room. You might as well feel comfortable in it. You need one place you can let your hair down."

Ignis's cheeks flushed just a bit at that. He stood. "I can see the bed," he told her. "It's a twin, one pillow, sheets, and a comforter."

"Blue sheets, dark blue," she added, "like the sky just before the black of night. The comforter is light blue, the sky at noon. How it was, anyway."

Ignis's image of the bed filled in with color. He moved to the bedside table. "A wooden table, square. It has a drawer, a lower shelf. There's a lamp."

"Cherry wood, scuffed a bit. There are some books on that lower shelf."

"Fake," he told her. "Just decorative."

"The top fake book is reddish brown, the second is a dull yellow, and the bottom one is brown, oak perhaps. The lamp shade used to be white back in the day. It's trying. The base though is blue like the sheets." She opened the drawer. "There's a notebook here."

"It's mine," he told her. "I know it very well."

"Your recipes."

Ignis nodded. "Not that I can read them anymore."

She closed the drawer and moved him around the table to the wall. "It's a pretty old hotel. Bad wallpaper. Light blue with darker designs. I'm sensing a color scheme here."

Ignis felt the wall. The designs were raised a bit from the surface. He felt thin swirls and thicker areas. He kept his hand on the wall and moved along it. He found a door. It seemed too close to be the bathroom. He opened it.

"Closet," she told him. "Empty but for a few hangers. There are a couple extra pillows on the shelf above. And an orange blanket. It really clashes with the blue."

Ignis chuckled and filled in the image in his mind. Behind him was still fairly vague but this side of the room was shaping up rather well. Next was the bathroom. And though he had it in his mind, it wasn't particularly colored. Aranea flipped on the light. "Dark blue rug, but the walls are white. Porcelain vanity. Cherry wood cabinets."

He met the wall on the other side of the bathroom door. She went with him, painting in his image as they moved around the periphery of the room. She said the chair was an armchair, high-backed, with green upholstery—not a nice green. Ignis decided to color it brown and leave it at that. She found the air conditioner on the wall across from the foot of the bed. He felt the cool breeze and she helped him adjust it to his desired temperature. That led them to the bed again and they sat down together. She still had his hand.

"Wait," she said, twisting her body. "We've missed something." He realized she was looking behind the bed. He didn't want to turn away from her, and he was rather enjoying her hand in his. He couldn't reach back to feel what she was seeing.

"I'll bet," she said, her voice playful, "you can't guess the color of the curtains." A window.

"Hmmm...blue?"

"They went with the color of the comforter," she confirmed. She turned back to him. "So, can you see it now?"

Ignis closed his eye. He smiled. "I can. I even see you sitting beside me. Oddly, you're still in your armor. But I don't feel armor."

She chuckled. "Well, I did have it last time you actually saw me. I'm dressed down a bit. Black pants, blacker boots—with heels. White top, red vest—long, form-fitting."

"Low cut, as I remember you seemed to have a taste for."

"You don't like it?" she flirted. She was flirting with him!

"I didn't say that," he flirted lightly back. He adjusted his image of her.

"Your shoulders do look a little lighter," she said. She got serious again. "So what else is weighing them down? Prompto said there was a lot on them."

Ignis sighed again. "Apparently, I'm to be something short of the savior of Lestallum, bringing order to chaos and ensuring everyone's survival."

"Now that _is_ heavy," she agreed. "Who's put all that on you? And why?"

"The Marshal. My training, education, my former responsibilites. I was meant to be the chief advisor to the king."

"So they figure you've got the brains to bring all this together," she said. "Do you?"

"Probably," he replied, chagrined. He turned his head away to face front. "I have no idea where to start."

"Well, what do _you_ need?"

"Information, I suppose. An inventory of supplies, diagrams of housing I can't see."

"That's what they need from you," she said. He didn't understand. But she touched his cheek and turned his face toward her. Ignis felt a slight tingle under her hand. His pulse increased. "What do _you_ need from them?" she asked.

He couldn't provide all that information. She didn't mean that. What he needed was deeper. "I need to work on this." He pointed to his eyes. "I need that before I can manage any of the rest."

She still touched his cheek gently. "So tell Cor that. He's stern but reasonable. They need a hell of lot from you. Make sure you get what you need from them."

Something near her hip beeped. Her hand left his cheek. "Oh," she said. "It's nine. I promised Iris I'd spar with her before the barracks locked down for the night."

"She's brave," Ignis told her. Aranea chuckled a bit. She rose. He did, too. She still had his hand, after all. He walked her to the door. Right to the door. She opened it, then turned. "Will I see you at breakfast?"

He smiled lightly. "I believe you will. Thank you, Aranea." He meant it.

She squeezed his hand. "You are most welcome, Ignis Scientia." He felt her lips on his cheek. It was electric. And then she was gone, her heels clicking on the hallway floor. Had that just happened? He touched his fingers to his cheek where she'd kissed him. He was flustered, but he stayed there listening to her footsteps until he could hear them no more. Finally, he turned, walked to the chair and sat down.

He wasn't sure how long he'd sat until he heard footsteps. He found himself hoping she'd come back. It was a new feeling for him. Dating had never managed to find a place in his agenda. The footsteps came and went. There were other rooms, of course. It was a hotel.

* * *

Prompto ran up the steps two at a time. He was a little excited. It had been good to see Aranea at dinner but it intrigued him that she'd been so interested in Iggy. Gladio had told him she had noticed his eyes in Tenebrae and was probably just curious how he was faring.

"Maybe," he replied. They reached Iggy's door. Prompto knocked twice and opened it. Ignis was sitting in the chair for a change. He looked different somehow. More relaxed perhaps. "Aranea was looking for you," Prompto said, hoping he'd flustered him.

Ignis's expression gave nothing away. "She found me."

Gladio gave him a look that said 'cut it out.' His voice said something more neutral. "She filled us in on things in Niflheim. The empire's fallen apart. Biggs and Wedge made it back."

"Oh that _is_ good news," Ignis replied. "How was dinner?"

"Light," Prompto said. He pulled a napkin from one pocket and bottle from another. "I brought you a roll and a bottle of water. The rest wasn't all that portable. I'll put it here on the table."

"Thank you."

"Ignis," Gladio said, "are you going to be okay here by yourself?"

Ignis didn't reply right away. He leaned forward. "Here," he said, pointing down to the floor, "I'll be fine, I think." He pointed toward the door. "I'm still working on out there. To that end, could you please ask the Marshal to meet with me after breakfast?"

"We can do that," Prompto told him. He scrunched his eyebrows. "Did she tough-love you, too?"

Ignis smiled the slightest of smiles. Was he blushing? "Not at all."


	8. Turning a Corner

Author's Note: Sticking close in the timeline at this point. I will sometimes do that and other times move forward quite a bit. 10+ years is a LOT of time.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Turning a Corner**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Ignis pulled the napkin from his pocket and unfolded it onto the bedside table. Then he pulled the pen from his notebook. He used his left hand to feel the edges of the napkin and then laid one finger out parallel to the top edge. He set the pen above his finger and wrote the first item of a list. He carefully moved his finger down and lined it up perpendicular to the side of the napkin. He wrote the second item, and on until he was finished. He only hoped it was legible. He put his pen back with his notebook and closed the drawer.

Aranea had seen him at breakfast. As he had, she had played their evening encounter down. On one hand, Ignis appreciated that. He didn't want any childish teasing from Prompto or ribbing from Gladiolus. He wanted no gossip about him spreading the whole of Lestallum. But on the other hand, given that being kissed by a beautiful woman and the feelings that engendered was a wholly new experience for Ignis, he was left confused. Had she simply been flirting or just toying with him to get him out of the funk he was stuck in? Or had it been a genuine expression of romantic interest on her part?

Ignis decided not to dwell on it for the time being. He had always been good at prioritization. His priorities now included confronting his blindness, helping Lestallum survive the long years of darkness to come, and preparing for Noctis's eventual return—and death. Romance was simply not on that list.

Four knocks on the door. Ignis walked to the door he clearly saw in his mind and opened it, expecting Marshal Cor Leonis.

"You wanted to see me?" Cor asked.

"Please, come in." Ignis stepped aside and then closed the door. "Have a seat." He added Cor to his mental image. He was seated on the front of the 'brown' chair, back ramrod straight. His face was grim. Ignis didn't remember ever seeing his face when it wasn't grim.

"I have thought a lot about what you and Cid laid before me yesterday," Ignis told him, still standing. He faced Cor directly. "I don't like the conclusion you came to, just as I don't like the premise that Noct has to die. But I accept the truth of it."

"Understandable," Cor said. "I don't much like that premise either."

"However," Ignis went on, "before I can do what you need me to do, I have some needs of my own."

"Such as?"

"Time," Ignis said.

"For what exactly?"

"To learn _how_ to be blind."

Cor leaned back. Ignis saw it even as he heard the springs in the chair give way. Cor didn't speak right away.

Ignis pressed on. "During that time, I need your people—"

"Your people," Cor attempted to correct.

Ignis ignored the interuption. "—to gather information." He retrieved his napkin with the list and held it out for Cor. Cor took it. "Please let me know if that is illegible."

"You seem to be managing blindness quite well," Cor said.

Ignis sighed at this detour. "I've mastered this room and everything in it," he told the Marshal. "I can see it in my mind. I can even see you, as I remember you, sitting in that chair looking up at me. What's beyond is still…" He searched for the right words. "…fraught with unknowns. I can't see! Can you imagine spending one day, just twenty-four hours, with your eyes closed? Could you do it?"

Cor leaned forward again. He sighed. "No," he admitted. He read from the list. "Inventory of people and their education/skills/talents. Inventory of necessary supplies and regular/irregular resources. Inventory of housing and other architectural spaces."

"It will be a very long time in the dark," Ignis explained. "We need to do more than just get by. We need to survive. All resources—people, places, things—must be used wisely."

"Supplies being food, clothing, weapons?"

Ignis nodded. "Resources would include the power plant, electric lighting, our water source. Irregular resources are meats brought in by the hunters and other items found out there."

Cor took a moment. "Okay."

Ignis wanted to clarify one more thing. "You're going to need someone who can really bring that together for me. I can't read any reports or look at any blueprints."

"Of course." Cor stood.

"One more thing," Ignis said, stopping him. Cor didn't move to walk away, Ignis went on. "I need you to train me."

"Why would I need to train you?"

Ignis glared at him with his one remaining eye, though the glasses hid it. "Because I cannot continue to fight as I used to."

"We have hunters and glaives and fighters. We don't need you to fight, Ignis."

Ignis took one step and stood right in front of Cor. He could smell him. He put as much gravity in his voice as he could muster. "Our King _will_ return one day, and I intend to be at his side. I _will_ be at his side!"

Cor didn't reply. He was thinking. Finally, he spoke. "That's going to take some thought. But I'll do it."

Satisfied, Ignis held out his right hand. Cor shook it and held it a moment.

"Two weeks," he said, opening negotiations. "We'll see where stand and go from there."

"Two months," Ignis counter-offered. "It's a big city."

"We have to survive two months."

Ignis sighed. "One month and I have the space to keep learning."

"How to be blind," Cor finished for him. He released Ignis's hand and headed to the door. Ignis followed. "I've watched you grow up, Ignis Scientia. I have no doubt that you will master that subject as you have mastered all the others." He opened the door and stepped out. Ignis closed the door behind him and leaned back against it. Aranea had been right.


	9. Blind Date

Author's Note: Sticking close in the timeline at this point. I will sometimes do that and other times move forward quite a bit. 10+ years is a LOT of time.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Blind Date**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Aranea knocked on the door to room 213. There was no answer. She tried once more. Still nothing. Ignis wasn't in. Well, that could be a good thing. For him.

She turned, passing other people going about their business. One couple thanked her. Aranea had brought a lot of refugees to Lestallum. She couldn't remember them all. But of course, Aranea stood out so they remembered her. She left the hotel and went to the Outlook where she hoped she might, by some chance, spot him. She was leaving in the morning and hoped to see him again before that. She had been casual at breakfast and didn't want him to get the wrong idea.

She'd flirted just to flirt with many men throughout the years. Or to get information to help her in her some of her jobs. She'd even slept with a few just for the fun of it or to get the upper hand. But she had never felt the way she did about Ignis Scientia with any other man.

She thought about him all the time. First, she had imagined sparring with him again. Then she had fought alongside him. She'd had a job to do then so she kept it business, but he'd been kind to her. More kind than she'd deserved at that point. Finally, it was seeing him in Tennebrae. She had had the crazy urge to hug him. She was glad she'd restrained herself. Her men would never have let her live that down. Besides, she didn't think Ignis would have appreciated it at that moment. They had a mission and a missing friend. When they left, she found herself wanting to write him letters. Which was ridiculous. He couldn't read them and she genuinely worried he wouldn't make it. That he had had made her think about him all the more. She'd had a hard time even sleeping at night.

She started imagining life with him. It was silly but she daydreamed it anyway. She'd visit Lestallum regularly, and they'd share a secret romance. Until one day there would be a great celebration, maybe when Noctis returned and set the world straight again. There would be a grand ball. He'd look fabulous, as always, but she would turn all the heads in her fancy ball gown fit for a princess—and not a mercenary. Of course, he wouldn't see it, but she'd let him explore all of it after the ball.

But reality left her wondering if he would choose to be with her. She had doubted it before Tenebrae. He'd been so cool, so confident, but also focused on the job at hand. She was sure he had his choice of a dozen women to stand by him back in Insomnia. But she'd gotten a glimpse of something different in Tenebrae. His vulnerability. He was human, after all. She saw it all the more yesterday. She'd also seen his devotion. Not even the loss of his sight would make him choose to stay behind. He was closer to Noctis than just an advisor. They all were. But Ignis seemed closer still. He watched over Noctis as he stood beside him. How had they met and what had he seen in Noctis to bring that devotion out in him?

And, last night, he had not pushed her away. He had never let go of her hand once she'd taken his. She had looked back as she reached the stairs and saw him still standing in his doorway, touching his cheek where she'd kissed him. She did have a chance with him. And if they were going to live with the end of the world as they knew it, she wanted it to be with him.

She started to turn but stopped. There he was. He was near the gate, walking with an older man she didn't recognize. He'd done his hair today. He was standing erect again, shoulders back. His cane actually made him look rather dapper. At least to her. The older man was an animated talker, gesturing to the cars that made up the gate, the walls that narrowed the entrance, the buildings on either side. Aranea realized what was going on. She smiled. Ignis had gotten what he needed. He was building his image of the world outside his little room. Then she sighed. She really wished she wasn't leaving tomorrow. This was going to be an exciting time. If she stayed, she would be watching him overcome the limitations of his blindness. She was sure he was going to flourish.

But Biggs and Wedge needed her. The free peoples of the former Niflheim Empire (which was pretty much the known world) needed her. The MTs and daemons needed killing. The civilians needed saving. Lestallum needed Ignis. The Empire needed her.

She found him later that evening, sitting alone at one end of a long table in the dining hall. There were plenty of people around but not next to him. No friends. No Iris. Not even the young Talcott.

"Is this seat taken?" she asked as she walked up to the table.

He smiled lightly. "And here I thought I'd be dining alone this evening. Though I had hoped not."

Aranea sat down across from him. "I'm not sure I could have made it past the door, with the crowd. You're braver than me."

"It was a bit frightening," he conceded, "not hearing a familiar voice. George, my new chief Describer of Everything, returned to his family for dinner. I didn't want to keep him. It's a day job after all. But to my chagrin, no one greeted me. I haven't heard Prompto, Gladio or even Iris or Cor. I don't even know where Talcott stays or how to reach him. So I tried to play it casual and hoped I could discern a vacancy by a lessening of noise."

"You found one," she confirmed. She stirred her soup. "But if I were you, I'd make friends with one of your neighbors. If the others aren't here, they're on assignment. Iris and Cor headed for Insomnia. Got reports of some more civilians there. Gladiolus asked to tag along, probably because he thinks he needs to look out for his sister. Prompto volunteered to ride along with a truck going to Hammer Head. Every vehicle needs security."

"Of course he did," Ignis said. "Cindy is in Hammer Head."

Aranea was curious. She knew she had caught shortcake's eye but perhaps he had a deeper crush on this Cindy. "And who is Cindy?"

"Cid's granddaughter," he replied. He took a sip of his soup. "She's a mechanic. Dresses rather scantily but seems to have no idea the effect she has on him. Seems she's only interested in automobiles. She was quite fond of the Regalia."

Aranea chuckled. Cindy was clueless, apparently. Aranea had never had that problem. She knew exactly the effect she had on men. She'd had to learn early on that her feminine wiles could get her into or out of certain situations, and she made sure she controlled those situations.

They finished their meal in light banter, then Aranea asked if she could walk him home. They walked slowly together. She took his elbow as if they were just strolling and not her guiding him in anyway. She took the long way so they'd have more time. He didn't object. Once she thought they were alone enough to speak in relative privacy, she apologized. "I played it casual in there and at breakfast. I didn't want you to misunderstand that. Right now, Lestallum needs to get to know you as Ignis Scientia, new leader and Orderer of All Chaos. Not as the guy with Aranea Highwind, hero of Lucis. You have a part to play, just as I have mine."

"Then last night?"

"I meant every minute of it," she admitted. "I've had my eye on you for a while now." He stopped and she stopped with him.

He turned toward her and pointed with his free arm to his left eye. "And this hasn't changed that?"

Oh, her heart skipped a beat at that question. She gently reached up and slipped the glasses from his face. "You're not hideous, you know."

His head dipped down. "I've wondered," he breathed. "I know it makes Gladio and Prompto nervous."

She gave that a moment's thought. "Did they find you, after it happened?" He nodded, so she went on. "Was it life-threatening?"

"I nearly died," he admitted. "Twice. The infection cost my eye."

That was it then. "It makes them nervous because they remember finding their friend dying." She lifted his chin. "What I see is a very handsome man with a scar. And that scar tells me he lived through something. But he _lived_." She put his glasses back in his hand and let him put them back on. "That scar doesn't define you any more than that cane and the dark glasses do."

"Don't they?" he asked as they started walking again. "I can't do so many things now. Things I enjoyed. Some very much. I can't drive, or cook." He sighed. "I can't read. I learned to read when I was two."

Aranea smiled. "Now that does not surprise me." She got serious again. "Okay, driving is out. But you can read, you just can't see the letters anymore. There are books for the blind."

"Yes, and blind people know how to read them," he argued. "I'd have to learn Braille. And how many such books do you think there are in Lestallum's remaining libraries?"

"I didn't say that one would be easy," she conceded. "Only possible."

"Well, if someone finds a textbook on how to read Braille, I'll give it my best."

"Until then, we'll just have to find someone to read to you."

"Are you volunteering?"

"When I'm in town," she replied. "Sadly, I'll be leaving in the morning. Now, who says you can't cook? The same people who think you can't fight?"

"Who told you I can fight?"

"You survived," she told him. "That told me. I wasn't sure you would after Tenebrae. It made me sad. But you did. You went to Gralea, to Zegnautus Keep, then six months all the way back here. You had to have fought."

He smiled lightly again, then it was gone. "I'd burn the food, or leave it raw. I'd mix up ingredients or cut myself."

"Nonsense," she said. "I'll try to get back in a month or two. And you're going to cook me dinner then."

He stopped and turned to her again. "You can't be serious!"

"I'm dead serious," she told him. "You can get back ninety-nine percent of everything you think you've lost. You've already done more than anyone would have thought possible. You fought daemons! I'm pretty sure you had to rethink how to do that. So you have to think how you'll do this differently, too. So stop thinking you can't. Think how you can!" She started walking again. They were at the hotel. She started up the stairs. "Start simple. You can work up to gourmet stuff later."

They reached his door. He put his hand up and felt for the numbers there. He traced them with one finger and it gave her an idea. He opened the door. "Will you join me?"

Aranea smiled. They stayed talking that night for hours. She learned that he'd known Noctis for sixteen years. They had grown up together. Gladio had started training Noctis a few years later, and Prompto had introduced himself in high school. She talked about her years as a mercenary, how she had met Biggs and Wedge, and how she'd come to trust them so fully.

Fortunately, she'd set a reminder on her phone so she wouldn't be locked out of the barracks. She would really have loved to stay the night with Ignis, but that might turn a few heads in the morning. Besides, she wasn't sure he was ready for that. He'd also told her he hadn't had a dozen women in Insomnia. He'd never had the time for dating.

Before she left, she reminded him about dinner. She kissed him again, briefly, but on the lips this time. She got back to the barracks just before lockdown. She hardly slept an hour that night.

* * *

Three knocks on his door. Ignis left the bathroom. He'd just finished his hair. As he walked to the door, his foot hit something. It sounded like paper. "It's me, Talcott, Mr. Scientia."

"Just Ignis, Talcott," he called as he picked up the paper. "I'll be out in a just a few minutes." He held the paper in his left hand, then used his right to feel the surface. There were raised lines, somewhat soft. Bubble-ink? He started at the top, then traced the lines with his finger tip. I MISS YOU ALREADY A

He smiled and tucked the note in the drawer by his notebook. Then he returned to the door.

"Are you ready for breakfast, sir?" Talcott asked.

Ignis nodded and followed the boy out. "Where do you stay, Talcott? Do you attend school?"


	10. The Other Shoe

Author's Note: I need help with OC character names. Because I have not played FF FX, I am not as familiar with the geography on a big scale, the architecture on a smaller scale, and character names. Some names, I've noticed are common English/American names (Monica, Dave, Jared, Cindy), others are not (all the chocobros, every glaive, Cid, Cor Leonis, all the villains, Aranea). I have winged my way through so far with characters we're not as likely to see again, but now that we're in Lestallum and sticking around, we're going to run into the same people more than once. So please PM or leave a review with some good FF-able character names. Lots of women (Darn it, if Iris didn't tell Noctis that all jobs in Lestallum are done by women, so all those civil servants are women.) but also some men. I figure the civil servants stayed indoors during any destructive event and pretty much survived. Whereas other professionals may have lost their lives and now are filled by refugees and other civilians. As for geography and the exact roads and buildings of Lestallum, you're probably just going to have to let me pass on those. I try to be vague where I can get away with it.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **The Other Shoe**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

One month passed and Aranea had not returned. Ignis left the dining hall and walked to the administration building. He relied on the mental images he'd built in the last month, his cane which warned him of debris, and counting his steps. The last was the hardest, actually. He liked to think when he walked. But he had managed to count while reading when he was younger. So he thought and tried to keep count as well.

His new assistant, Bina, met him at the door. "Right this way, Mr. Scientia." He'd met her yesterday. They went up two flights of stairs, turned right and then walked back toward the front of the building. "This is your office," Bina said. "There's a desk to your right. The chair is behind it. There are two chairs in front of your desk. To your left is a round table with four chairs. You'll be meeting the other staff one at a time. Each will present part of our findings from the inventory. It was really quite enlightening. Everyone will announce themselves before they speak until you can learn their voices."

Ignis moved behind the desk and turned his face back to where she was still standing. "I've learned yours," he offered, with a slight smile. "And please, call me Ignis."

He could hear a smile in her voice when she spoke. "We'll break at noon. First in is Dara, sir. She had Industrial skills."

Two knocks on the doorframe. "Dara, sir. Shall I come in?"

Ignis sat down. "Of course." And that's how the morning went. He met each of the civil servants in the office, they had really managed the human resources inventory well. They had gathered names, locations, ages, education, training, years of experience, and disabilities or limitations. Potential workers were grouped into industrial, agricultural/food services, educational, medical, construction, sanitization, and security skills. They also had unskilled and non-workers. Ignis took an interest in that last one. Some non-workers were children and young people who didn't have any specific training yet. Some were retirees, like George, who needed less strenuous work. Others were more or less disabled in some way. Ignis certainly didn't want to underestimate any of them. And finally, there were those whose education or training just didn't fit any other category.

In the afternoon, they'd all brainstormed together to decide which job subcategories or new categories were vitally important for the immediate survival of Lestallum, jobs that would be important once survival was more sure, and luxury jobs which they could hope for someday. Those might include actors, musicians and novelists, for example.

They identified the power plant workers easily, as well as hunters and fighters, farmers and food service worker and construction. Ignis added engineers and teachers. Finally, someone offered sanitization. They labelled these as Primary positions. Every possible worker would be slotted into one of these job categories.

Secondary positions included the sciences and history, universities and formal education. Mechanics came up but Ignis decided mechanics were needed now. Vehicles brought in needed supplies and travelled between other outposts. Vehicles were vital to survival and could break down. Mechanics was added to Primary.

The next day, was spent addressing the unskilled and non-workers. Ignis gave George as an example. He was a retired art historian. Now he was helping Ignis 'see' Lestallum. A person who'd lost a limb could still teach or do such things as dishwashing, other seated jobs. As for the unskilled youth, Ignis envisioned internships that led to apprenticeships. Children would go to school. As they aged they'd be introduced to the jobs they could eventually intern for.

On the third day, Ignis wanted to know about housing and architecture. At present, they were scrambling to find new place to place refugees. Ignis was in the older hotel. Smaller rooms. One or two people in each. The Leville was much bigger. Presently, there were as many as three families in some of the rooms. Other buildings were hastily filled with bunks, like the hunters' barracks. The reports, he hoped would find more room to spread people out a bit, and even more for new refugees. There some marginal buildings that with architects, engineers, and construction crews could be made worthy.

The group identified one school within the walls that was suitable for up to two classrooms. Most of the other schools were either outside the walls or too damaged in the early days before the walls were finished. Ignis suggested general supplies be stored in several locations for redundancy. If one storage unit caught fire, they wouldn't lose everything. He also suggested they could get some volunteers for internal security to watch supplies and other key areas. These volunteers could count on staying within the walls with their families.

The fourth day was the scary one. Ignis got his first glimpse (metaphorically speaking) at the scarcity of some supplies. The year's harvest had been smaller than it might have been. Plants produced less and smaller fruits and vegetables as the hours of sunlight decreased. Meat was an irregular resource brought in by hunters who ventured into the wilds. Water was, at least, not an issue, given the proximity of the river and the municipal water system that still existed. Ignis suggested they work to shunt off areas outside the walls, but in easily reversed methods for when they could, he hoped, expand. Electricity was abundant within the walls. Ignis hoped they could someday expand with the walls so more people could be saved.

The shake up happened the next week. Supervisors had been identified for each department and every able person was given a Primary position that fit their education and/or experience and training. Anyone was given the right to petition, after two weeks, for a transfer should their present assignment not work out. That squelched most of the grumbling.

The Construction department included architects as well as skilled carpenters, furniture makers, and people experienced in construction work. Plumbers and air conditioning technicians were also included. If it was work on a building or the furnishings of that building, it was part of the Construction department. Buildings would need modifications, repairs, and furniture if they were to house everyone in comfortable conditions with adequate sanitization.

The Education department included six elementary and secondary teachers, one librarian and four college professors. They were put in charge of one hundred forty-six children from ages four to seventeen. Older youths were given choices for internships within the various Primary professions. They were matched with individual workers whom they would shadow as they went about their work. They could graduate to apprentices, which meant they could do supervised solo work. Once their supervisors were satisfied, they would then be an official worker.

The Medical department was a tough case. While they had a hospital, they were lacking in doctors and nurses. Their supervisor was a family physician who hadn't done surgery for more than ten years. Until she'd had to with attacks in the early days. There was one ER doctor and a veterinarian. There were seven nurses. Ignis made a plea for youths to consider medicine for their internships. Thirty-eight signed up. They were going to get a crash course, Ignis was sure.

Engineers were a special case. They were to decide where best to use their skills and expertise. Structural engineers, for instance, would likely go to Construction. Others might choose Medical to help build and repair medical equipment. Electrical engineers could go to the Power department, which included anyone working with electricity, including lighting.

The Agriculture department included farms and anyone working with food. Ignis personally tasked them to get creative with their farming. They had to find ways to grow fruits and vegetables within the walls, with the lighting provided by the power plant. Only expansion of the walls would allow for large plots of land to be farmed. He suggested they look into hydroponics and vertical farming as well as other innovations they may think up. Several engineers volunteered to work with them in those endeavors. Hopefully, someone would find farm animals that could be brought within the walls as well. Ignis asked Construction to be open to helping the Agriculture department with space.

Most of the cooks were already in their positions. A few moved to jobs they were better trained for. Some had cooked in the military, some in the schools and hospitals. Others were stay-at-home parents who enjoyed cooking and grandparents who had loved baking. Some had worked at sidewalk stands, or in diners and restaurants.

The Sanitization department was lacking in members. There were several workers left from Lestallum proper. They assured the administration that they could keep the sewer systems working. There were no trained sanitization engineers. Several scientists volunteered to transfer from their present placings to help innovate as more and more refugees came in. They were tasked with working closely with Medical as proper sanitization was key to the overall health of the city.

Then there were the jobs less wanted, such as sweeping, cleaning the streets, trash removal, and dishwashing. Many of the present workers in these jobs were shifted to skilled jobs. Ignis suggested that new arrivals would first be placed into these positions until they could be evaluated for other jobs. Also some retirees or disabled could manage some of these jobs if they didn't have other skills. Dishes, for example, could be washed while sitting on a stool. Children would help with after-school chores keeping their streets and building common areas clean. And everyone had to take a shift, one day per month, working these jobs as well. Everyone except Ignis, who couldn't see if plates were clean or where he needed to sweep. He hoped Aranea was right and that someday he could spend his service day cooking with the others.

Most people were happy enough with the shift. Nearly everyone agreed that they should all work in some way for the survival of the city. Many were placed in a job they had the right education or skills for. Others did campaign that science and the arts were important, too. Ignis agreed, but made the case that those with those skills could be used in different ways for now. Later, when survival wasn't as precarious, they could flourish in their own right. For now, scientists were placed in Engineering and then, like the engineers, spread out to various relevant departments.

Many more people volunteered for Security, both internal and external. Only those not in key positions or jobs that were lacking were transferred for training. Cor, then, would be staying in Lestallum for the foreseeable future. Ignis had two hours with him, every other afternoon.

By the end of the next month, Ignis felt like things were starting to come together. People were getting used to their jobs. Seven transfers had been approved, four rejected. The children were going to school. Teachers were teaching a fairly basic curriculum at present. Scientists and farmers were figuring out the right lighting to grow certain vegetables. Soil had been trucked in and spread on several rooftops. Construction was renovating buildings and moving crowded residents into them. Chatter around the dining halls was generally positive.

And then three things happened. Aranea returned. Iris got hurt. And the sun stopped shining altogether.


	11. The Dark Side

Author's note: As I try to type this, two kittens (one very large at 10 months and one smaller one at 4 months) keep pushing the notebook I wrote it in off my desk. Ever since we put the home office together, the cats think the top of my huge desk belongs to them. They made it so hard, that sometimes I had to use a lap desk to write this. Sigh, the very large 7 year old just joined them up there. Okay, he moved to the printer. I have a chance.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **The Dark Side**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Gladio was beside himself with worry. Ignis kept a hand on his back as they waited for a doctor to give them an update. Dr. Marin and Dr. Temar, the veterinarian, were performing surgery. Iris had taken a long foras front claw to the abdomen. Even through his concern, Gladio was proud of his little sister. She'd pushed a child out of the way when she got hit. The child and her parents were there waiting with them. The little girl was crying.

Someone approached from a nearby doorway. "The surgery went well," Dr. Temar said. He had a higher voice, like that of tenor. "She lost a lot of blood, but the potion you gave her saved her life. She'll be recuperating for a few weeks but we think she'll make a full recovery."

Gladio let out a long breath he must have been holding. "Can I see her?"

"Once we've got her settled into Recovery. I'll send one of the nurses for you."

"You will be keeping her overnight?" Ignis asked.

"We'll keep her a couple days, I think," Temar replied.

Ignis nodded. He waited for the nurse to take Gladio to Iris, then called Ann in Administration. Ann oversaw housing assignments. The father approached him as he finished his call. "We'd like to thank her personally."

"I'm certain she will appreciate that," Ignis told him. "Though I'm not sure today is best. We'll be providing you with a housing and dining hall assignment. You can get settled then come see her tomorrow when she's likely more alert."

Approximately five minutes later, one of the interns from Administration entered. "Kender, sir," he announced. He walked to the family and asked them to follow him. As they walked away, Ignis could hear the young man explaining the system to the newcomers. It worked quite well for small groups of refugees like this. It worked for larger ones as well, just not as smoothly. It wasn't as easy to find temporary housing for a hundred or more people than it was for three.

Prompto arrived soon after. "I just heard. How is she?"

"The doctors are confident she'll make a full recovery," Ignis replied. "Gladio is with her now. Perhaps we should stop in briefly."

"You know the way?" Prompto asked.

Ignis shook his head. "My first time."

"Right." Prompto led him to a counter and asked the woman there if they could see Iris Amicitia. She gave them a room number and the two of them started off. Ignis filled Prompto in on what he knew. "She's a hero then," Prompto said. "Again. You know, some of the people out there call her Iris, the Daemon Slayer."

They turned in to a room, and Prompto knocked on the door frame. "We would have brought you flowers, but…," he said by way of greeting.

"Hi, guys," Iris managed sleepily.

"The family wishes to thank you personally," Ignis told her. "I put them off until tomorrow, so you could rest."

"Thanks."

Ignis assumed Gladio was still there. He didn't say anything.

"Well, we don't want to keep you," Prompto said. "Just wanted you to know we care." He turned with Ignis and they walked out. "You going back to your office?"

Ignis nodded. "Yes, I'm supposed to meet a man at noon about a job."

"Need a lead?"

"Yes," he replied. "George and I haven't made it back this far yet."

"No problem."

They walked in companionable banter. Prompto caught Ignis up on events outside the walls, and Ignis let him know how things were inside since he'd last gone out. The voices around them were hushed and worried. Ignis had not seen any change, but others had told him the sun was running late. Prompto dropped him off at the Administration building.

Ignis's appointment was with a man named Harry Ferris. He was a retiree and the admin workers had been having trouble finding a primary position to fit his experience and abilities. Ignis took a special interest in such cases and tried to help them find ways to use their skills and experience.

"Dara, sir," Dara said after knocking on his door frame. "Harry Ferris is here to see you." He could not hear her smiling today. She sounded down.

"Thank you, Dara," Ignis said. He heard her lighter steps move away as Harry's heavier ones stepped in. Ignis walked around his desk and offered his hand. "Good afternoon, Harry."

"Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Scientia," his gravelly voice said as he shook Ignis's hand.

Ignis held his other hand out toward what should have been one of two chairs in front of his desk. Harry sat down and Ignis felt for the other chair before sitting and facing him. "Please, call me Ignis."

They started with a little small talk. Most of it was about the sun still not showing itself today. Then they talked about Harry's life before and after he retired. He'd worked in special effects in the film industry for fifty years, starting during his teen years as an errand boy. Mostly he'd made miniatures for wide-screen shots and scifi dramas. Ignis reminisced with him about some of the films he had worked on. He was surprised Ignis had seen them, until he told him his blindness was a fairly recent event.

One of the films was a historical drama set in a long-ago war. In the war room was a large table map where assistants moved props representing troops and armored divisions as they received transmissions of the real-time events on the battlefield. That gave Ignis an idea. Well, two ideas. Ignis imagined such a map showing the regions around Lestallum, all the way to Insomnia. He also imagined a miniature Lestallum as it was presently, something the Construction department could use to demonstrate changes they hoped to make but also something Ignis could feel.

They spent the next two hours brainstorming. Ignis had an intern bring in some large sheets of paper and a pencil for Harry as they moved to the table in the other half of the office. Harry and he got excited at the possibilities, and they decided Harry would head a small group that would be known as the Miniatures Unit. Ignis said he'd check with Dara to see if they could find an intern or two but he also wanted to introduce Harry to George. Ignis had a regular appointment every other afternoon with George so he told Harry when and where to meet them on Monday.

After he walked Harry out, Ignis talked briefly with Dara then found Lina, who oversaw Construction. He wanted the Construction Department to work with Harry to find supplies—mostly scraps—and to show him their measurements and blueprints. They would also need to build tables and find spaces for them in the Administration building. The lower floor was already being renovated as they were building an office for Cor down there.

When he was finished, Bina informed him that it was time to leave for training. Ignis returned to his office for his gym bag and then headed to the men's barracks where Cor was waiting. They met every other afternoon, except Sundays. Ignis had the same schedule on opposite days with George. Sundays were his day off. Back when he could see, he might have spent such a day reading, taking a stroll in a park, or just visiting Noctis. Now, he spent those days walking around the part of Lestallum he could see in his mind. He listened and sometimes talked with people when they initiated it. He felt it kept him touch with the mood of the city. He sometimes got to visit Gladio or Prompto when they were around.

But today was Saturday and it was time to train. When they had started this last month, Ignis had felt self-conscious—not that he would show it—as he heard whispers around the periphery of the barracks. Cor insisted on silence—as he perceived silence anyway—when Ignis trained as hearing was Ignis's strongest sense. Cor started him back at the basics, hand-to-hand martial arts. It was difficult at first. Ignis spent a lot of time on the ground the first couple of weeks. Ignis heard the snickers the observers were trying to stifle.

But he was starting to get a feel for it. He blocked most of Cor's attacks and even managed a hit or kick of his own on occasion. Every move Cor made had a sound. Every time he put a foot down, Ignis heard it. His clothes moved as he bent or turned and Ignis heard that. A punch or kick sent a limb through the air, and Ignis heard a light whoosh. In time, he started pinpointing where those whooshes were, high right, low left. When he put all those sounds together, he knew exactly where Cor was most of the time.

He wasn't hearing snickers any more. Today, as he thanked Cor and headed home, he heard one of the hunters say he thought Ignis might be faking his blindness.

As he opened his door, he heard paper flutter. He set down his gym bag on top of the dresser then returned to the paper. He picked it up and smiled. Bubble-ink. Just two words: MISS ME?


	12. Two's Company

Author's note: The little kitten thinks it's a game to push my notebook off the desk. The big one thinks it's kind of fun, too. Ugh. Maybe I shouldn't have tried to type 2 chapters up tonight.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Two's Company**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Ignis wasn't sure where he would find Aranea. He hurried through his shower, dressed and fixed his hair. He picked up his glasses and cane then headed downstairs. As he passed people, he heard fearful whispers. The sun had not come. Lestallum, he knew, was well lit within the walls so it was not dark per se. But seeing the sun each day had meant something to everyone who could see it. The last bit of their old lives.

Ignis didn't feel that way. His life had changed dramatically almost a year ago, and again when they lost Noctis to the Crystal. The things that were a part of his old life were people. Other than Noct, he still had them all. Then he remembered an older life. The one in Insomnia where he saw his uncle in the Citadel, baked desserts for Noctis, and drove home at the end of the day. Paradigms had been shifting and shifting. This was just one more.

He stopped at the Outlook and leaned against the railing as if he was looking over. He'd seen Lestallum at night before, so he imagined what he might have seen. Lit up streets with a darkened horizon. Oddly, the air didn't feel any colder for the loss of the sun. Perhaps the star still offered heat but no light.

"It's no darker than it was for twenty-three hours yesterday," she said. He'd heard someone approach. Someone with high heels.

"They're just not used to the darkness," he replied. "I got your notes."

"See?" she teased. "I told you you could read." She leaned closer to him.

"Ah, if only they printed books with bubble-ink."

"How's Iris?" she asked, getting serious.

"Alive and recovering," he told her. He relayed the story as he knew it. "Gladio's probably still with her."

"Good," she said. "She's a strong fighter. It would have sucked to lose her."

"Indeed."

"So, are we going to have dinner?" she asked. She shifted and Ignis thought he heard something else shift. Was she carrying a bag?

"We should be," he told her, "but I've not managed all the ingredients. I traded eighteen rations for most of them. But the chickatrice leg has eluded me."

"I hope you didn't trade them all at once," she flirted. "I wouldn't want you to starve."

"Well, I _have_ had two months to gather them," he chided her playfully.

"Well, you're in luck." She shuffled the bag to the front. "I'm going to let you cheat with the meat." She put something round in his hand, approximately one inch thick. It was flat on the top and bottom, except for a pull-tab.

"Canned chickatrice?"

"Pre-cooked," she confirmed. "I found some canned goods in an abandoned shop."

Ignis turned his face fully towards her. "Are you sure you want to do this? It could be end up unpalatable."

She smiled. "I have faith in you."

He offered her an elbow and she walked with him back to the hotel. But he didn't go up the stairs. He'd made a deal with the owner for use of the restaurant's kitchen. As everyone ate in the dining halls, the restaurant was closed. Ignis bartered two service days off for her for two months for use of the refrigerator, stove, dishes, and spices for two months. Ignis had to promise that all the dishes and pans would be washed and put away. He sincerely hoped Aranea wouldn't mind ending their dinner helping with that.

There was a bar just in front of the kitchen, so he dropped her off at one of the stools there to watch.

As he washed his hands, he replayed his visualization of this in his head. He'd thought it through every night before sleeping for two months. He just hoped the process would go as smoothly as he imagined.

First, he arranged each of the ingredients on the counter. He placed the canned chickatrice, then retrieved the birdbeast egg, saki, soy sauce, chickatrice stock, and onion from the refrigerator. From the cabinets below he pulled brown sugar and a brand new bottle of mirin. He left the oil seeing as the chickatrice was already cooked.

"What will you be making?" she asked.

"A dish I first saw here in Lestallum," he told her as he retrieved two pans and sat them one on the stove. He placed the other near the sink. Then taking a one cup measuring cup, he filled it twice, using the tip of his finger to feel when it was full. "Noctis noticed a woman eating a dish he thought looked good. Prompto agreed, saying it would be like a party in his mouth."

"Sounds like something he'd say."

"I thought I could recreate it easily enough." He set the pan of water on the stove then measured two servings of rice, using a finger to brush off the excess from the top of the scoop. He counted the stove's controls with his hand until he found the right one, then knelt down so he could hear it better and feel the heat when he turned it on. He turned it all the way up then dialed it back to where it seemed right. He set a timer on his phone with voice commands. Then he started measuring ingredients for the sauce.

He cracked the egg and carefully, pulled it apart over a small bowl. He put the bowl in front of Aranea. "No shells?"

She took a moment. "Cleanly cracked. You're good."

He poured the contents into the second pot then stirred the rice. He opened the can of meat, drained it over the sink, then poured it into the pan. He measured the soy sauce, saki, and mirin before pouring them in. He stopped to stir the rice, then moved on to the brown sugar, which he packed into the measuring cup with his hand.

The next part was tricky, but he thought he had a safe way around it. He got a cutting board from the cabinets and a pastry cutter from a drawer. It was a sturdy kind with sharp edges. He placed the onion on the cutting board and lined up the pastry cutter next to his hand. He pushed it through the onion then chose the number of slices he needed. He stacked them and rocked the pastry cutter over them to cut them again and again until they were the right size. He scraped them into the pot.

"Creative," she commented. "You've given this a lot of thought."

Ignis lit the second burner as he had the first. He stirred the rice then stirred the ingredients of the sauce together. _So far, so good_ , he thought. It felt good to be back in a kitchen. He was cautiously optimistic that this was going to turn out decent. If he didn't burn it.

One by one, he pulled spices from the spice rack, opened them and smelled the contents. Satisfied with three, he added a pinch of each to the sauce and stirred both pots.

When his timer went off, he turned the heat under the sauce down and turned off the burner under the rice. The rice was fluffy when he stirred it. He got two plates and set them on the counter. He poured what felt like half the rice onto one and the rest onto the other. He picked up both plates and compared their weights. Close enough.

He returned to the stove and tested the sauce by dipping his finger in the bowl of the spoon. Not ruined. He let out his breath slowly, hoping she hadn't noticed. He turned off the heat and returned to the plates. He spooned sauce over one plate then the other, back and forth until it was gone. He put both plates on a tray, adding forks and two paper napkins he'd saved from the dining hall. Then he got two bottles of water from the now empty fridge.

He set the tray on the edge of the bar. "Table for two?" He held out a hand toward the tables beyond the bar. "I didn't know when you were coming so I couldn't prepare."

"Not a problem." She chose a table and took the chairs off of it, setting them down on each side. Ignis carefully walked the tray over. She lifted the water bottles, napkins, and forks off while he set the plates down one at a time.

"It looks and smells delicious," she told him. He left the tray at the bar then sat across from her. He waited for her to take the first bite. She chuckled. "Oh, this is good!"

Ignis sighed and tasted his own. It _was_ good. He'd done it. He smiled.

She touched his hand. "I knew you could," she said. "You needed to know it, too."

They ate in comfortable conversation, and she even offered to help clean up before he had even had a chance to ask. After it was all done, he picked up the box, and they walked it over to the dining hall. The cooks were closing up after dinner. They thanked him for returning the supplies and asked how it went.

"It came out right," he told them. "I just had to do it a bit differently."

She kissed him again, longer than before, before she left for the barracks. As Ignis lay in bed that night, he mused that the first day of full darkness for everyone else was the happiest day he'd had since Insomnia fell.

But that night, he dreamed the vision over and over, and, by morning, he felt guilty for having been happy.


	13. Blessing in Disguise

Author's note: Fun with kittens again. This will be an ongoing battle for me. Again, I'm not sold on this chapter's title.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Blessing in Disguise**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Gladio was at the dining hall at breakfast. Prompto and Aranea were not. "They got called out," Gladio explained. There had been another disturbance just beyond the wall.

Ignis nodded and ate his breakfast. He was conflicted. The vision was weighing heavily on him, but he had wanted to spend the day with Aranea. She had not wanted their relationship—if it could be called that at this stage—to be out in the open. She was still quite well known in town for having rescued many of the refugees. To most of the current residents of Lestallum, he was just a blind guy walking around on a Sunday. Not many people realized he was the primary architect of the new labor system. That actually worked in his favor when he went walking. No one stopped him to try to curry favor, and no one felt they had to hide their feelings when they told him how they felt about life in Lestallum.

The people that knew him best were those he worked with and the relative few he'd personally helped when they requested it. Aranea had said she wanted Lestallum to know him for himself and his contributions. He didn't think they did after a short two months there. Maybe it was for the best if he didn't see her today.

Ignis asked about Iris and Gladio told him she was doing better. The family had come by to thank her before breakfast, and Gladio had needed to stretch his legs. Iris apparently told him to get out and stop smothering her. Though he did say she'd said it while smiling. Gladio explained that Cor was keeping him in town while his sister recovered. He would be helping to train the newer hunters and fighters. "You certainly have the experience in that regard," Ignis told him.

"How's your training going?" Gladio asked.

"It has been challenging, but also fascinating for me. It's almost like I'm honing my hearing and not just my body."

"That's good," Gladio commented. "Maybe we take our sight for granted. It's not so easy out in the field to see some of the daemons. Maybe we need to try training our hearing as well. We could train with blindfolds."

Ignis considered that. Had the world so changed that his blindness was now an advantage? Perhaps in one way. "I'm not so certain. My hearing has improved greatly since I lost my sight. A blindfold couldn't recreate that."

"True," Gladio conceded. "But I think we don't rely on our merely human hearing enough. It could still be useful out there."

"It's possible," Ignis agreed.

Gladio changed the subject. "I heard the cooks talking about you cooking last night. Said Aranea was with you."

Ignis kept his expression perfectly neutral. "She was insistent that I should try some of the things I didn't think I could do anymore. She told me I had to cook her dinner the next time she was in town. So I did."

"Good for you," Gladio said. "Will you keep it up?"

"I would like to, but supplies are difficult to come by," Ignis admitted. "I had to miss a lot of meals to gather the ingredients for that one, and it still wouldn't have gone off if she hadn't brought a can of pre-cooked chickatrice."

"Is she going to have you drive next?"

Ignis gave him his best imitation of looking down over his glasses at Gladio. "I will not risk anyone else's safety."

"Good," Gladio said.

"Of course, if she gave me very precise directions. . . ."

"Smartass."

After breakfast, Gladio started to head to the barracks to sleep a few hours before returning to the hospital. Ignis told him it would be too loud to sleep well and offered his room. Gladio thanked him and Ignis walked the other way.

Part of the population was going to work. Everyone got one day off a week, but it was staggered. There were some jobs that just needed doing every day, and that included most of the Primary positions. But a significant proportion—and all the children—shared Ignis's day off. So he walked and listened as fewer and fewer footsteps were heard.

There were either few people out and about today, or they were all keeping very quiet and still. The finality of no sun was probably keeping them subdued. Ignis walked anyway, keeping his cane in front of him and his images in his mind. He'd covered nearly all he knew in an hour. His phone beeped lightly every thirty minutes to help him keep time.

Ignis realized he felt lonely. Since they had left Insomnia, he'd spent very little time away from his three companions. Most of which was happening here in Lestallum. He missed seeing Gladio and Prompto every day, but he missed Noctis the most. He'd been with him almost every day for sixteen years until he went into the Crystal. There was only the time he was injured and taken to Tenebrae. Noctis was a fixture in his life, and the realization that he would never have that again was a shock to his system. His life until now had revolved around Noctis. So it wasn't just living without his sight that he had to learn how to do. He had to learn how to live without Noctis.

"You get around pretty good for a blind man." Aranea. She sounded a bit out of breath.

"Aranea," he said. "The disturbance is dealt with, I take it."

"Prompto said it was like old times, fighting alongside me," she replied. "Nothing we couldn't manage."

"Good to hear." Ignis kept walking and she joined him, taking his elbow.

"You don't seem happy to see me."

"I can't see you," he told her.

"Has anyone ever told you that you can be a smartass sometimes?" she asked.

"Gladio, just this morning."

She stopped him. "You're dodging the subject. What's wrong? I thought last night went well."

"It did," he admitted. "And I am happy to see you. I'm just not sure I should be."

"What's that supposed to mean? You're not sure you should be happy to see _me_? Or you're not sure you're supposed to be happy?"

"The latter," he said. She guided him backward and he felt a bench behind his knees. They sat down.

"Because we just lost the sun and now the world is dark for a really long, undetermined time?"

"It's been dark for me for a while now." He wasn't sure if he should tell her more. "It's probably easier for me to accept than everyone else now."

"Then why?"

Ignis wanted to tell her, though. With Prompto and Gladio, they had needed to know. They had deserved to know. Cor and Cid needed to know as well. Aranea didn't need to know, but he felt he could trust her with it and he wanted to share it. "What if I knew it was going to take something terrible to bring back the sun? Should I allow myself to be happy when I know how high the cost is?"

She leaned back. "Philosophy was never my strong suit. What's so high that you should chose misery the whole time we wait?"

"Death."

"Who's death? And how do you know this?"

"Are we alone?" he asked her. She assured him they were. So he told her of the vision.

She waited a bit to say anything. "So that's what you've been carrying around? Ignis, I don't know what to say. I'm sorry. What everyone else looks forward to is going to rip your heart out, isn't it?"

Ignis nodded. "He's not just my friend, Aranea. Not just my king. We're family. King Regis asked me to take care of his son, as a friend, and as a brother. And I have, from that very day."

She took his hand and squeezed it. "Isn't there any other way?"

Ignis shook his head. "How are we to change prophecy? It's been there all along. The Crystal chose him. His father knew his son would have to die. He grieved. And that's, apparently, why he picked me. He thought I could lead in Noct's stead. I don't want to. I want him to. So how can I just go about my life, fall in love, and be happy? It's just not fair."

She put her arm around his shoulders then and held his other hand. "None of this is fair. It's not fair we have no sun. It's not fair Niflheim won the war. And for what? The Empire doesn't even exist anymore. Thousands, maybe millions have died since then and that's not fair. That you lost your sight is not fair. This is life, as it is, how it's always been. It's never been fair to me. It's never been fair to anyone."

Ignis thought of all she'd told him so far about her earlier life. It certainly hadn't been fair to her. Maybe it wasn't fair he was chosen so young to do what was, in reality, an adult's job. It wasn't fair that Insomnia was destroyed, that so many in the Kingsglaive betrayed the King's trust, that Luna had to die. She was right. None of it was fair.

"How long have we got? Months? Years?"

"Years," Ignis told her. "Though I don't know the number of them. More than a few."

She laid her head on his shoulder and her hair tickled his cheek. "Do you think Noctis would want you to be miserable that whole time? Would that prove your devotion to him? You knew him better than me. Would he want Prompto not to flirt with Cindy or take pictures? Would he want Gladiolus to be angry all the time? Would he want you to have a lonely life because he won't be here with you?"

Ignis hadn't thought about it that way. Noctis had been a happy child before his injury. He was so somber after that. Ignis had wanted him to smile, to find some joy in life. It wasn't really until Prompto had burst into his life that he had. Ignis had wanted him to be happy, even it wasn't with him.

Light footsteps came fast towards them, and Aranea removed her arms and head from his body. "Slow down, Bennie! The playground isn't going anywhere."

They were near the school. The playground was open even when the school was not. More footsteps, some light and fast, some heavier and slower. Children. Children and their parents. Children who had been driven from their homes. Children who had probably seen daemons and dying people. Maybe someone they loved. Yet they were running, laughing, to a playground, calling to each other to come play.

The footsteps faded away. Ignis could hear the children playing in the distance. "We can mourn when the time comes," Aranea said quietly beside him. "I will hold you as long as you need. But let's not mourn before he dies," she whispered. "I don't think he'd want that."

Ignis nodded and a tear slipped from his ruined eye. "I keep seeing it."

"The vision?"

"I see it happen," he breathed.

She turned his head and used one hand to brush the tear from his cheek, from his scar. "Then maybe this is a blessing in disguise," she said gently. "You won't have to see it when it really happens. Look, I know you can't just toss off a burden like that like you kick off your boots at the end of the day. But maybe, together, we can let go a little bit of it now and then. Maybe we can find a little bit of happiness in this nightmare we're living in."

Ignis nodded and she lifted him up. They walked some more. "I never thought life was fair," she said. "I took what I could from it. I still don't think that's all bad. But it took meeting the four of you for me to realize that it felt pretty good to give something back, too."

"You're right," Ignis concluded. "Life isn't fair. But maybe that's why we should try to be."

"Just remember to be fair to yourself," Aranea told him. "You deserve that, too."


	14. Betting the Farm

Author's note: Ignis cooked a lot of wildlife. I have done as much Google research into the animals of FFXV as I'm going to. I don't see any "farm" animals, as such. Yes, there are Chocobo farms but we're not going to go eating them. So, I've used chickatrice because it was in the recipe my husband picked for me to have Ignis cook. (Remember, he played the game, I watched—the latter half.) The only sites that show me animals specific to FFXV were really showing enemy creatures. These are not farm animals. So I'm just going to make an executive decision here and say there are cows and sheep and pigs and goats, and maybe emus in the FFXV universe.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Betting the Farm**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Ignis ate his breakfast quickly. There wasn't much of it. There were more and more mouths to feed and less and less food to feed them. For the last eight months, they'd been surviving on the harvest of the region's farms, found foods, and meats brought back by hunters. The former were dwindling fast. The latter was still irregular. Even then, most meals now contained meat with little vegetables or fruits. Found foods generally consisted of cans or other processed foods. Those were hard to spread out evenly across twenty-six thousand residents. Unless there were a lot of them. Which there weren't. They were also brought in by hunters and fighters as they ventured out beyond the wall.

The Agriculture department had been hard at work. The rooftop farms were producing crops of potatoes, tomatoes, peanuts and lettuce. It was a start. That success, and the fact that Lestallum had a full-year growing season given its tropical climate, meant that even now, new rooftop farms were being prepared and seeded. Others had been planted but were not yet fruiting.

One building had been identified for indoor gardening. Its entire façade was made of treated glass. Agriculture was working with Construction to remove a lot of the sun tinting from the windows and to install proper lighting and irrigation equipment. Floor by floor, new crops were being planted to increase the variety of fruits and vegetables available.

So, if the residents of Lestallum could last just a few more months, they'd actually have a good, varied diet to look forward to. That, however was a big if. Already, two of the oldest residents had not managed to hold out. One had already died. The other was in hospice at the hospital. Dr. Marin had had to make the tough call to withhold further resources to prolong the resident's life.

Ignis realized they were running out of time. They needed food, quickly, or more would die. To that end, he'd started two new initiatives. Bina was waiting for him as he reached his office. She handed him something smooth as he sat down.

"That's the final draft," she said. "It's laminated, a tri-fold that can fit in a pocket. Eighteen images. Fifteen marked green for edible and three marked red for poisonous. It has been signed off by Agriculture and Medical. We're good to go if you're satisfied."

Ignis folded and unfolded the pamphlet and tested it in his pocked. "I'll have to rely on your judgement, Bina." He took it from his pocket and handed it back to her. "If you were out in the woods with only aflashlight, could you identify those mushrooms?"

"Yes, sir. I think I could."

"Alright, then. Let's put one in the hands of every person who steps outside our gate."

"I'll get right on it."

"And Bina," Ignis said, stopping her from leaving, "are the surveyors here?"

"Just gathering on the second floor."

"Wonderful," he told her. "I'll follow you out."

He left her as she went upstairs and he went down. Harry had done a fine job. In the front half of the second floor was a large table and on that table was a scale model of Lestallum. Every building and street was represented, first in crude manner, lacking detail. But, little by little, he'd replaced the crude constructions with perfect replicas of the real things. George, then, had helped him paint them. Ignis often came here on a Sunday to reinforce his mental image of the city with the tactile data he could glean with his fingers.

Ignis stood at the front of that model, facing the street, parking, and gate. One by one, the surveyors identified themselves and the area they had studied. Six weeks ago, Ignis had sent them to reconnoiter the rest of Lestallum, the city beyond the gates. Each section had been given a grid label.

Fortunately, there was plenty of table left behind the walled city. The grid was marked out with string. Ignis placed his hands on each section of the table as each surveyor gave his or her report. C-2 was the most promising. Intact factory buildings, residential housing above storefronts. Little renovation needed. But it was not contiguous with the walls. C-2 would have to wait.

A-3, on the other hand, was contiguous and had factories. They were not in as good shape. There was little in the way of housing. C-3 had housing but was generally wrecked. There was a huge parking garage, some of which had pancaked on itself. Still, the surveyor reported salvageable car parts and well as items from the residential wreckage. Canned and boxed foods, small appliances, mattresses, furniture. There was a lot of rubble that could be used for building materials.

That was the other shortage facing walled Lestallum. Ignis had wanted to expand the walls for some time, but there wasn't enough large construction supplies with which to do so. Smaller pieces, such as lumber, bricks, and mattresses were now becoming scarce. Newcomers had been forced to sleep on the floor. C-3 then, held promise. And it was contiguous to both the walls and C-2. Ignis was starting to see some possibilities.

B-3, then, completed the picture. While the factories were not move-in ready, they were structurally sound and could be renovated. An office building nearby could be converted into apartments. There were supplies to be found in what wreckage there was, as well.

Ignis listened to all the others then made a decision. Every area surveyed was to be gleaned for supplies. Every usable item that could be removed safely needed to be brought inside the walls. Once these areas were cleared, C-3 was to be demolished. The resulting materials would be used to expand the walls to encompass both C-3 and B-3. B-3 would be repaired to expand needed manufacturing and housing. C-3 would become a farm.

Security was needed to make this happen. Each surveyor had been accompanied by two fighters on their missions. It would take more than their entire Security department to protect all the Construction workers as they took on these projects. Fortunately, Ignis knew someone with an army. And he had just had breakfast with her that morning. Ignis sent an intern to find her and dismissed the surveyors. He returned to his office to wait.

He didn't have to wait long. Bina let him know she had arrived. "Oh, and we'll be able to deliver the pamphlets to the Marshal by morning."

"Excellent," Ignis told her. "Please send Miss Highwind in."

Ignis heard her heels click on the stairs then followed the sound of her steps to his door. "You wanted to see me, Mr. Scientia?"

"Please, call me Ignis," he said. "Join me and do close the door."

Ignis moved from behind his desk, and sat in one of the chairs in front of it. She closed the door as requested. "You missed me so much you had to call me to your office?" she teased as she came to sit down next to him.

He smiled. "Actually, I want something from you."

"Do tell," she said, leaning back. "And what do I get out of this?"

"You get to stay around Lestallum for a couple months or more."

"I like it so far. What do you need?"

"Your army," he told her. "We need to expand. We need more supplies. We can find space and supplies in the city beyond the walls. We've identified where we want to expand. But our people will be vulnerable as they accomplish it. We haven't got enough fighters to defend them all."

"I can't give you my army," she said, flatly. "There are still people out there to save. MTs are still prowling around molesting the survivors. Not to mention the daemons. But I can spare half. I've been thinking of giving the boys more responsibility. This could give me a good opportunity."

Half her army with some of Lestallum's Security could certainly fit the bill. "Could I ask for one more thing?"

"You can always ask," she said.

"We need to become more self-sufficient. Less dependent on irregular resources. We need farm animals, ideally breeding pairs."

"Those are few and far between," Aranea replied. "I can't guarantee anything, but we can keep our eyes peeled. Where will you put them once you have them?"

"In the expansion," he told her. Then he explained his idea in further detail.

"It's ambitious," she said. "But it's a good plan. Now, I want something as well. Sometime equally ambitious."

Ignis sat back. "What would that be?"

"A computer programmer," she replied. She leaned forward as she told him why. Her voice took on some excitement. "What if we could reprogram MTs? We could make them only fight daemons and leave humans alone. Then we'd have more soldiers we wouldn't have to feed."

That piqued Ignis's curiosity. "But they were made from humans. Don't they eat?"

"They are able to get nutrients from daemons. Presently, they do that in production facilities. We've been destroying them when we find them. But I've been thinking they'd make a convenient resource if we could control them."

Ignis liked that idea. As long as no new MTs were made. "Let's go talk to Dara," Ignis said, rising. "How long until your half of the army can be here?"

She followed him out. "Seven airships by the day after tomorrow."

Ignis stopped beside Dara's desk. He could hear her typing. "Dara?"

The typing stopped. "Yes, sir?" she replied. "What can I do for you?"

"We need to find a computer programmer willing to relocate temporarily for an ambitious project."

"I know we have programmers," she said. "Not sure about the relocation part. But I can bring in some candidates."

"Tomorrow morning?" Ignis asked.

"Should be doable."

"Thank you," Ignis said. "Miss Highwind has need of one. They can meet with her."

"Are you staying in town, ma'am?" Dara asked.

"For a few months, at least," Aranea replied.

"The Marshal will be happy to hear that," Dara said. "He's likely to put you to work."

"I'll already be working," Aranea corrected. "But he's welcome to join me."

Ignis bid Aranea goodbye and set off toward Construction headquarters. He wanted to tell them personally that expansion was a go.

Over the next two months, Lestallum proper was picked clean. Nonperishable foods, bags of coffee—sadly, none of it Ebony—, lamps, batteries, car parts, radios, clothing, mattresses and cushions, cell phones, books, freezers, refrigerators, microwave ovens, tables, chairs and one working golf cart all started pouring into the walled city. Those items not claimed by administration were handed out on a lottery system with no one person allowed to win twice. Cell phones were farmed out to various departments. Two for the new EMTs, for example. One went with the EMT on ride-along. Another went to the EMT stationed just inside the gate for emergencies coming in. The golf cart was stationed, with another EMT as driver, at Administration but was used as an ambulance in emergencies. All food and furniture items, clothing and small construction materials were put into supply warehouses to supplement existing stocks. The refugees who had been sleeping on floors now had mattresses and cushions while they waited for bunks and beds.

The destruction of C-3 took another three months. But as it came down, the new walls went up. By six months, the walls were complete. The next phase had already started. That included repair of the electrical grid and lighting systems. Heavy machinery found in A-1 was brought to C-3 in Aranea's airships. Large chunks of concrete floors and foundations were removed for future wall expansions. There was land, then, ready to farm once the lights and irrigation were ready.

Finally, one year after they had started the expansion, Ignis stood with a pair of scissors in front of a paper ribbon. Two cows had been secured and were waiting to be released into a new pasture. C-3 was now Lestallum Farms. The renovation of B-3 was nearly finished. Fourteen hundred Secondary position workers had been identified. Manufacturing would return to Lestallum.

Ignis cut the ribbon to great applause from the gathered crowd. The first piece of the old wall was lifted from its place by an airship. The cows were released into their fenced off pasture. Farming could now begin. Ignis leaned toward Centa, the head of Construction. "You know C-2 is just on the other side of that far wall," he whispered.

"I like the way you think," Centa replied in his gruff voice. "I'll draw up some plans."

"I won't look at them," Ignis replied.

Centa laughed.


	15. A Bitter Pill

Author's notes: I really could use an expert in this game. My husband played it (I didn't.) but he's basically useless when I need a certain kind of creature or daemon. He doesn't remember enough. Or he didn't memorize all the banter between Ignis and the other guys because he doesn't obsess the way I do, and I only started obsessing after Chapter 9. (I really don't have any good idea who Monica is and why I should care, for example.) So, if you wanna be my expert, please PM me and let me know.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **A Bitter Pill**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

The streets were quiet again. Ignis knew why. It just didn't affect him the same way it did everyone else. Almost everyone else. Aranea didn't seem to mind the anniversary. Two years since the world went completely dark. Of course, for Ignis, it had been longer. Just over two and half years. Two and half was the anniversary he marked. That was the day Noctis went into the Crystal. He, Gladio, and Prompto had gotten together for that one. They had broken open a bottle of wine Ignis had snared and gave a toast to the absent King.

As for his blindness, Ignis tried not to let it get him down most days. And most days, he was successful. As food had become more plentiful, he had tried cooking again. He and Aranea had dinner rather often during the year of expansion. They still got together at least once a month.

With thirty-two thousand residents, give or take, it was getting harder to keep their relationship—and it was a relationship, he was certain of that by now—quiet. Besides, she'd decided he was well enough known that she wouldn't outshine him anymore. So they often walked together or trained in the new training area created between the old walls and the new. They could often be seen of an evening, sitting together under a lamp at the Overlook. She would be reading him a book.

Aranea was staying close to Lestallum these days. Biggs and Wedge had handled their half of the army just fine in her recent absence. And Theradis, a young hacker who had volunteered to go to Niflheim, had successfully hacked the MTs, reprogramming eight hundred of them. This tripled the size of Aranea's army nearly overnight. Now Aranea commanded one third, a mix of men and MT, and primarily patrolled Lucis and the surrounds. Biggs stayed around Niflheim proper with his third, and Wedge headquartered out of Accordo. Many of the civilians in these areas were getting more and more desperate as time went on and their resources dried up. Most of them, then, ended up in Lestallum.

And then there were the babies. Twelve had been born in the last year. Aranea had told him it just proved her point. It wasn't selfish to find joy where you could in a tragedy. Ignis also believed it could simply be consequence of circumstance. As the days of abject desperation seemed to have passed, more people would naturally build relationships, and babies were, then, inevitable. Babies were a sign of optimism.

One new resident was the complete opposite of optimistic. The daemon situation around Hammerhead had gotten quite serious. Many hunters and fighters used Cindy's station as a slayer's stop now. One could acquire potions and weapons there, or rest before heading out again. Cindy was handling it fairly well. She had fenced the area and had hunters stationed at all times to defend it.

Cid, however, was getting on in years and had finally been talked into relocating. Prompto brought him back with him three weeks ago. While Ignis had joined Prompto in urging Cid to open a garage here in Lestallum, Cid had flatly rejected the idea. Still, he had made himself useful upgrading weapons and griping to anyone who stood around long enough to listen.

Ignis still sat at his desk after Dara had given her report. He was proud of what they'd all accomplished in Lestallum. He really hoped that they could keep expanding and growing, through natural increase, and new refugees. He wanted there to be a world for Noctis to save, and this was the best way he knew to do that.

"Ignis?"

Ignis looked toward the door. "Yes, Bina?" She didn't sound quite right.

"I'm not feeling well. Would you mind if I went home for the day?" Her voice had a nasal quality.

"Take as much time as you need," he told her, "but, please, have Torin drive you over to the hospital for a checkup first."

She sniffed. "Okay." She didn't sound well at all. She was the first.

By the end of the day, Dr. Marin had reported seven more cases of the flu. That worried Ignis. With no major pharmaceutical companies left to make medicines, Dr. Marin and her physicians were limited in their response to sickness. They were much better prepared for wounds.

While the opening of the apartment block in the former B-3 had eased housing concentrations at first, a new influx of refugees had once again filled their accommodations to the full. Cid had caught a break. Someone had moved out of the hotel to be nearer their lover just the day before he arrived. Cid lived just four doors down the hall from Ignis now.

Dr. Marin had sent word over the PA system that everyone should practice good hygiene at all times, washing their hands for at least fifteen seconds and doing so often. She suggested social distancing to slow the spread. But in the close quarters many lived in, that was hard.

By the end of the week, flu had struck nearly a sixteenth of all residents. There weren't enough beds in the hospital for the sick. One nearby housing unit was evacuated and its residents shifted to temporary housing. That allowed the hospital to annex the building and place many patients in the empty rooms.

Ignis had to wear a mask as he met with Dr. Marin. She'd asked him to come personally.

"Influenza is a virus," she told him. "Even if we had enough antibiotics for everyone, they wouldn't work on a virus. Flu may make for a miserable week for some, but it can be deadly for others. I'm afraid your friend George is in that latter category."

George? Ignis felt something drop in his chest. George, his chief describer of things, painter of miniature Lestallum, art historian, and professor to seven students and two apprentices? "He's dying?"

"I'm afraid so," Dr. Marin said. She took his hand in her gloved one. She must have guessed that he needed that physical connection given his lack of visual input. "There are others. Mostly the elderly, but some children, one baby, and others whose immune systems are compromised by other diseases. At best, we can try to keep them comfortable. But even that is difficult without the OTC products we used in the past to treat symptoms."

"Dr. Temar," she went on, walking with him now, "has one desperate idea. There's an invasive species of tree that used to grow on the outskirts of Lestallum. Melaleuca. If we can find one still growing, it might help. The oil from a Melaleuca tree is antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. He thinks if he can make a tea with this oil, some of our sickest might have a fighting chance. Others might recover faster. The Marshal took a group out this morning to try and find one of the trees."

She stopped and put something in his hands. "I thought you might like to sit with him a bit. He has no family here."

Ignis realized they were gloves. He put them on as she led him to a chair next to a bed. Ignis felt for and found George's hand. It felt hot in his gloved hand. George struggled to breathe each breath, but he squeezed Ignis's hand back.

"I'm very sorry to hear you don't feel well, George," Ignis told him. George squeezed a little harder. "I know we haven't walked together as often lately, but I still value your services greatly. You paint images in my mind more clearly than anyone ever has. The way you describe the colors…. I can see them so vividly."

George's other hand clasped over the top of Ignis's, and it stayed it like that for a moment. But his strength gave out and the hand slipped away. Ignis didn't know what else to say. He didn't want to just leave George to die alone. "Have I ever told you about the paintings in the Citadel in Insomnia?"

Ignis sat describing every painting he could remember in as much detail as he could manage. But eventually, George's squeeze got lighter and lighter, his breathing louder and more wheezy. Then it stopped. A machine on the other side of the bed beeped quickly.

"George?" Ignis asked. A tear slipped down his cheek. "Please squeeze my hand."

There were footsteps behind him. A hand on his shoulder. The machine was turned off. "He's gone, sir. I'm sorry."

Ignis let go and someone steered him away, stripping the gloves from his fingers. He was led down the hall to a counter. Someone placed something on it near him. "Tissues," a young man's voice said. "There's a trash can about two feet to your right."

Ignis took a tissue, removed his mask, and cleared his nose. He moved right until his toe bumped the garbage can and deposited the tissue in it. "Hand sanitizer," the man said. Ignis held out a hand, and the man squirted the gel into his palm.

"My assistant," Ignis said as he rubbed his hands together, "Bina Paran, fell ill last week. I'd like to see her."

"Let me see," the man replied, clicking keys on a keyboard. "Yes, she's in the annex, room 436. She and the others there are recovering. They're all doing well and expected to be released in the next day or two. Dr. Marin just wants to be cautious."

"Of course," Ignis said.

"Keep your mask on and pick up a pair of gloves just outside the room. There's a biohazard bin just below the box of gloves. Left-hand side of the door."

Ignis thanked him. He got directions as he wasn't sure where he was in the hospital just then. Once out the main doors, he knew where he was going. Thanks to George. Another tear slipped down his cheek. He passed others coming and going from the building and got in the elevator. "Fourth floor, please."

"Got it," a woman said, solemnly. Had she also lost someone? Ignis wondered.

Ignis got out on the fourth floor and counted rooms until he reached what he hoped was 436. He felt the numbers beside the door for confirmation. He took a pair of gloves and stepped inside. "Bina?" he called out.

"Ignis?" Bina returned his call. He heard her rise from the floor to his left. He went toward her. "You're not sick, too?"

Ignis shook his head. "I'm told you're doing better. You should be released soon."

"Yeah," she said. "I feel a lot better. It was no fun, let me tell you." She paused. "What's with the tears?" she asked gently.

"George," Ignis said. "I was with him. He's gone."

She took his hands in hers. "Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. You and he were close."

"Not as much lately," he told her. "I wish that were different."

He stayed with Bina for a few more minutes then left in search of Aranea. He wanted to have her near, to have her hold him. He took out his phone. "Call Aranea," he spoke.

"Calling Aranea," the computerized voice confirmed.

She picked up after two rings. "Hello, Specs."

"I need to see you," he said.

"I won't come inside those walls until this thing blows over. You know that. I wish you weren't in there."

"Then I'll come out to you," he told her.

She didn't speak for a moment. "Ignis, be careful. What's wrong?"

"Meet me at the front gate?"

"I'll be there."

It took Ignis awhile to reach the front gate from the hospital. "Raise the gate," he ordered.

"Hold on," someone said. "You shouldn't be going out there, sir."

"Why not?" Ignis asked sharply. He was not in the mood to be patronized.

"Well sir, you're, uh, blind, sir."

"I'm well aware," Ignis replied. "I assure you I can take care of myself. But then I'm meeting Aranea Highwind on the other side so I'll be doubly safe. Now open the gate!"

"Mitch?"

Mitch was one of the EMTs. "I just gotta check you over, sir. Make sure you're not sick." He used a forehead thermometer and checked Ignis's vitals. "Okay, you're clear. Be safe out there, sir."

The gate loudly and slowly moved upward, and Ignis passed under it as soon as it sounded high enough. He had not been outside it since the day he had arrived over two years before.

* * *

Aranea turned as she heard the gate start to move. There he was. He moved so confidently inside the walls that it took her aback to see him step so haltingly after he passed through. He had only memories, she realized, and she moved to him quickly. She took his arm and led him to the edge of the first terrace. They sat down, letting their feet dangle.

"What's wrong, Ignis?" She wiped a tear from his cheek.

"George died today."

It took her a moment to place him. Ah yes, George, the man who walked with Ignis, gesturing wildly as he described their surroundings. She pulled him close to her, and he laid his head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"I didn't even know he was sick," he said. "I hadn't seen him for three weeks. I didn't feel I needed him as much. We'd covered everything. The new areas, the wheat fields, the soybeans, the new calf."

Aranea had not had to deal with death for a lot of years now. Not since she was a child. She had made herself strong after that, closed her heart off for a long time. Until Biggs and Wedge. They were like brothers to her. She tried to think how it would feel if one of them had died. She didn't like it. It hurt.

"I feel like I've lost my other eye," he told her.

She hugged him. "But all he gave you isn't gone," she said. "You keep it here." She touched his forehead. "And here." She put her hand over his heart. "I saw him with you, you know. I know he valued his times with you."

The sat together for an hour, not saying much really, but remembering George together. Then a daemon showed up behind them and ruined the mood. She pulled Ignis up. "You up for this?"

"What is it?"

"Ariadne," she replied.

He nodded and two daggers appeared in his hands. "Make it noisy," he said.

"Right." Aranea knew he hadn't fought a daemon since he'd come to Lestallum. But his training had come a long way. She had sparred with him on many occasions. Even when she tried to be silent—she'd even trained without her boots on—he'd heard her. Every time.

The beast was being noisy all on its own, but she attacked with a high jump, slamming her lance down on it and causing it to squeal. Ignis threw a dagger, hitting it square in the chin. He moved closer. They parried and attacked, pushing it back toward the walls. Ignis dodged its claws as easy as she did. It reared up. Ignis switched to his lance and impaled it as it came back down. Aranea finished it from above.

Aranea hurried to edge and retrieved his cane. "You were great just then," she told him as she put it in his hand. Then he kissed her and she leaned into it.

"I have to go back," he said when they'd stopped for air. "We'll have to find a cemetery. George won't be the only one we need to bury."

She held him a bit longer. "Just make sure you're not one of them."

"I can't die," he told her. "I'm in the vision." He squeezed her tighter then let go. As he called for the gate to open, she wondered what he meant by that. She didn't remember him mentioning himself when he told her about the vision.

"Dude! That was awesome!" someone yelled as Ignis stepped through the gates.

"What the hell were you thinking?" And that was Cor. The gate clanged shut. She hoped the sickness would pass soon. She wanted to be in there with him.

* * *

When Stan had called to tell him Ignis was outside the walls, Cor had returned through the back gate. It was still quicker to go through the city than to go around it. Still, with the expansion, it took some time.

Stan was keeping watch above the gate, calling a play-by-play of a daemon fight when Cor arrived at the gate. "They got it!" Stan called a few minutes later.

Cor waited for the gate to open. He knew Aranea was out there, too, so he didn't rush them. Finally, the call came and the gate went up. "Dude! That was awesome!" Stan called down.

Cor marched up to Ignis. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Thank you," Ignis said, calmly, as he kept walking. "Your training was invaluable. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Construction about a cemetery."


	16. Six Feet Under

Author's note: I wrote of the flu because I wanted a setback. Conflict drives a story. They teach that in writing classes. There are only 3 plots in the world: Man against man; Man against nature; and Man against himself. This was man against nature. But this is happening for real. We think it happens in third world countries, and I'm sure it does. But it happens here in the US, too. Though not necessarily in the same way. I don't know the total numbers, but so far this flu season, in just one state: 42 (not including the elderly) have died. One hospital had a tent in the parking lot to house more patients. So, heed Dr. Marin's advice. Lots of handwashing and social distancing, folks! Sneeze and cough into your elbows. Stay home if you're sick. If you're really sick, go to your doctor. If you're really, really sick, go to the ER. BTW: I am going to retroactively lower the number of sick in the previous chapter. 1/3 of 32,000 was just too many. So I'm going to edit it back to 1/16. It's still a LOT of people sick.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Six Feet Under**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

By the time the dying was done, a place had been decided. Below the terraces, across the street, in front of the city. As the numbers rose day by day, Ignis felt a piece of himself break. Most of the elderly who had gotten sick died, as had George. Three children including one seven-month-old baby girl. The rest were a cross-section of the population of Lestallum. Some were young, some were middle-aged. Some skilled, some less so. One was a department head; some were experts in their field. Others had only just arrived and not yet slated into a position.

Aranea's army provided security, surrounding the area and lining the path down from the city. She herself stood behind him with Gladio and Prompto on the long wooden box they'd made on one side of the grave. Cor and the other department heads—including the new one in Agriculture—were to Ignis's right and left. He was glad he couldn't see what was in front of him. A great hole in the ground, six feet deep, fourteen feet wide and two hundred thirteen feet long. In it, every deceased person was laid head to foot, in two rows. All one hundred forty-two of them. Beyond were the friends and families of the deceased, the grieving masses. A few others stood, watching, from the terraces above. Ignis could hear the sniffles and sobs from across the divide.

Ignis had tried to prepare a speech for days. But the words just wouldn't come. And, he told himself, it wouldn't help. He wouldn't be able to read his own notes anyway. Still, he was mic'd. He had to say something.

He cleared his throat, hoping his voice would work. "I have no words," he began, but his voice broke. He had to start again. "Nothing I can say could make this any easier. Words can't bring any of these people back.

"We put up walls to keep the daemons out. We use light to keep the darkness at bay. But we couldn't build a barrier to stop a virus. Before all this, we'd get one medicine for the fever, maybe another for the congestion, a third for nausea. All but the weakest would stay home for a week then go back to their lives. But the world had changed. Those medicines were made in factories no one works in anymore.

"We had so little to give them. Some of you survived on overall health and immunity. Others benefitted from the Melaleuca tea Dr. Temar made. But for these, it wasn't enough. My friend George is there. He loved art. He studied it, produced it, taught it, reveled in it. He painted images in my mind so I could see what my eyes couldn't. I held his hand while he died. He couldn't speak then, so I just told him all I could remember of the paintings in Insomnia's Citadel. And then he was gone.

"So what can I possibly say to ease our shattered hearts today? I can't, because mine is shattered, too." He put a hand to his chest. "And yet, it's still beating in my chest. I'm still here. Someone told me George is to. In here." He patted his chest, then touched his forehead. "And in here.

"So instead of relying on my words, I'll tell you what I hear from George. He'd tell me to keep trying to see the world around me and not give in the void. He'd tell Jessica to pick up where he left off on the model and the map. Keep Harry company. He'd tell Jacob and Para, 'Congratulations. You've graduated. Keep learning. Teach others.' He'd tell all his students to keep trying to make art where and how they can. Because it's important. Because it helps us celebrate, helps us grieve, and helps us remember.

"Is that what they all would want? Would they tell us to keep living? To remember them but love again? Would they tell us the world's still worth saving, especially because it's not safe?" He couldn't think of anything else and he didn't know what to do.

Then someone shouted out. "She'd tell me to brush my teeth. Every day. Because we ain't got no dentists in Lestallum. So I can stay healthy."

Ignis smiled through his tears. A woman spoke up next. "He'd tell me to keep teaching the kids. Because they're the future. They may be the ones to rebuild the world when dawn returns."

A father held back his sobs for a moment to share. "She'd tell me, 'Thank you for loving me, Daddy. There was not one day in my short life that I did not know I was loved. Do that for my brother or sister.'"

"Keep fighting the daemons! It matters. As long as there's someone fighting, the Accursed can't win."

"He'd say, 'Look, there's more room now.'" That was Gena, from Administration. Ignis recognized her voice. "'Fill it with more people. Then find more room.'"

On and on it went until finally the dead stopped speaking to the living. Ignis knew it was time to leave but didn't know how to do it. Finally, he said the only thing that came to mind. "Thank you, George Winter. I'll do what I can." He turned off the mic and turned toward his friends. They walked with him off the box and back toward the city. Behind him, he heard others saying thanks and offering their goodbyes, and he heard their footsteps following.


	17. Dancing on Air

Author's Note: We were supposed to go to the Final Fantasy 30th Anniversay Distant Worlds symphony concert yesterday. But alas, my husband came down with a kidney stone. So I traded in our tickets for two lesser concerts. Though one will at least have a little Mozart in it. He would have liked it more than me, I'm sure, but I did find myself a little sad we couldn't go. This next one was hard to write. Why? Because I am a torture-fic writer first. That's what Gabrielle designed this penname for. Matraque means "bludgeon" or "truncheon" for heaven's sake. Yet, I can't foresee any torture in this one at all. Angst, yes. Torture, no. And nothing close to either in this chapter. As for my romance creds, the last one I wrote had the couple separated by continents, falling in love telepathically. I never had to write a date. Well, let's see if I can manage some fluffier stuff, I guess. Here goes.

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Dancing on Air**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

It was the teachers who actually came up with the idea. They felt the children needed something special to look forward to, a celebration of something. So they thought up Gratitude Day. A day to be thankful for surviving. Ignis wasn't opposed to the idea. He thought it would probably be good for everyone's morale. He just felt they should pair it with a more somber occasion. A day of remembrance.

It turned into something bigger than he had in mind on both fronts. Remembrance Week would last the week leading up to Gratitude Day. That was because it was decided that the names of loved ones lost would be read out. With forty-three thousand residents, that would take a rather long time. Administration compiled the list. Residents lost were easily tallied. But every resident was encouraged to drop off a list of names as well. Those who were lost before coming to Lestallum deserved remembering, too. The names would be read out by shifts of volunteers at the Outlook.

On the last day of the week, everyone would get three bagged meals for the next day to take home. No one had to work on Gratitude Day. There were parties planned, with games for the children, music in the streets, and dancing for the teens and adults. The dining halls would remain open for those wishing to eat inside. Otherwise, they were encouraged to picnic in the streets and on the balconies.

Aranea stayed away through most of Remembrance Week. She thought it was depressing hearing the names of the dead at all hours. But most people appreciated it. They made little paper lanterns with their loved ones' names on them and let them float off into the night. Jessica, George's prot$#233;g$#233;, described them first as little light balloons then looking like a stream of fireflies as they floated off into the distance. She wasn't George, but she did a reasonable job describing things for him. And Harry said she reminded him of his granddaughter.

As the last name was read, Ignis silently added 'Noctis Lucis Caelum.' Noctis wasn't' dead. Yet. But Ignis reasoned it was Remembrance Week, and he wanted to remember him in his absence. He'd been in the Crystal for three years now.

Ignis woke the next morning to music. He found Talcott and Cid leaning on the railing in the corridor. "It's going to be fun to have a holiday," Talcott said. His voice broke now and then into a high squeak. He wasn't a little boy anymore. His thirteenth birthday was a week away.

"Cindy said she'd be coming by for a visit today," Cid added.

"Prompto will be happy to know that," Ignis said, joining them. He had his bagged breakfast. "Shall we meet the others in the dining hall?"

"That's the plan," Cid said.

"Will Miss Highwind be eating with us?" Talcott asked.

"Possibly," Ignis replied as they walked to the stairs. "She didn't say when she'd be in exactly."

"You two should spend more time together," Cid advised. "Not just a day or two every other month."

"We have responsibilities," Ignis reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah. You're not getting any younger, you know."

Prompto was waiting for them on the ground floor. "Happy Gratitude Day! Did I hear the most beautiful name in the world?"

"Boy's got it bad," Cid whispered to Ignis as they stepped into the street.

There was quite a lot of noise in the street. Music, of course, but lots of people talking and laughing together. Prompto took hold of Ignis's arm as they pushed through the crowds. "It's easy to forget just how many people call Lestallum home these days," he said.

"Not in my job," Ignis told him. "I know exactly how many people live and work here. We're bursting at the seams."

"We come across so few people out there nowadays," Prompto explained. "Aranea's still finding them, though. And Biggs and Wedge."

It was quieter in the dining hall. But Gladio's voice was loud anyway. "Over here!"

"Happy Gratitude Day!" Iris greeted them each with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Once they were all seated she said they should all say one thing they were grateful for—besides just surviving. "I'll start. I'm grateful for my big brother!"

"I'm grateful Miss Cindy is coming today," Prompto said, dreamily.

"I'm grateful to be with friends," Ignis said, keeping it simple.

"I'm grateful we're one day closer to the King's return," Gladio stated. Ignis felt a pang of sadness and guilt. He wanted Noctis back, of course. And he wanted an end to the darkness for everyone else. But he knew how it ended, and for that, he was thankful Noctis was away. Away but alive. He did not say any of that out loud.

Cid spoke up next. "I'm too old for this. But I guess I'm thankful Ignis here doesn't have to see what he's doing to cook a fine meal."

"Here, here," Gladio agreed.

That left Talcott. "I'm thankful my teachers had me start a journal when school started again." That was not what Ignis would have expected. Talcott went on. "It's like I'm recording our history so some time, years from now, people can read what it was like when we had no sun."

Talcott was a thoughtful young man, Ignis thought. Historian had not yet made it onto their growing lists of professions. Perhaps it was important for one or two people to be keeping track of such things. He made a mental note to bring it up on Monday.

"Maybe King Noctis will read it after he comes back," Iris said.

 _He won't have time,_ Ignis thought. He opened his paper sack and found a bottle of water and a doughnut. Chocolate from the scent of it.

"What are you all going to do today?" Prompto asked. "I'm going to wait by the gate to personally let her in."

Gladio teased him. "Has she ever said so much as said three words to you that weren't about cars?"

"I have faith," Prompto replied. "She will someday."

"I'm helping with some of the kids' games this afternoon," Iris said. "There's a spelling bee, a bean bag toss, some races and such."

"I signed up for the fifty yard dash," Talcott said. "And the spelling bee."

"I'm certain you will place well in both," Ignis told him. "I haven't made any particular plans."

"What about the fancy dance in the school gym?" Iris asked him. "I know you know how to dance, unlike my great bear of a brother. Noctis once told me you had to teach him."

"I had to teach him many things," Ignis replied. "Dancing, dressing properly, standing up straight.…"

"Calculus," Prompto said. "Noct would have failed if not for Iggy's tutelage." Then he added. "So would I. Another thing I'm grateful for."

"Why?" Gladio asked. "When was the last time you used calculus?"

"Uh," Prompto replied.

"Yesterday," Ignis said. "Two fifteen in the afternoon. I admit it's a lot harder doing it my head."

"You didn't answer the question," Iris reminded him. "Does Aranea know how to dance?"

Bina saved him from having to answer. "Sorry to break up the banter," his assistant said. "Ignis, you're wanted to hand out some awards today. Hope you didn't make too many plans."

"As of yet, I had none," Ignis told her. He'd finished his breakfast, so he stood. "Duty calls," he told his friends. To Bina, he said, "Let's find a quieter place somewhere you can help me prepare."

"Administration's quieter," she offered, taking his arm as they joined the crowds out in the streets again. "Except on the first floor. A lot of folks are stopping in to see the model. It's quite a hit with the kids."

Ignis was kept rather busy until early afternoon. Thankfully, Bina retrieved his lunch so he didn't go hungry. Each department, but his, it seemed, was giving out an award to an outstanding worker. Ignis had to visit each one's party to give them a prize and a handshake. Once got a portable CD player with earphones. Another got a hot plate. One even got a kitten. There was a lot of cooing in the room at that one. Ignis didn't know what color it was, but it was long haired and definitely had all its claws.

He was very happy to give Talcott the ribbon for winning the spelling bee in the afternoon. Then, he was free again. Aranea had promised she'd be back that day. So he called her.

"I'll meet you at the Outlook," she offered. "How long until you can make it?"

"Two years by my reckoning," he replied. "The streets are strangely full of people today."

She laughed. "Then I'll come to you. Where are you?"

Ignis found a bench and sat down. "I think I'm just west of the school."

* * *

Aranea found him seated on the same bench where he'd told her about his vision. The mood of the city was a lot more festive than that time. "I hope you got in on some of the fun," she told him as she sat down beside him.

"I held a squirming kitten if that counts," he told her.

"Aw, I'll bet that was cute!"

"There are quite a few of them around these days. They help keep the rodent population under control."

"I heard they cuddle and purr and play with strings."

"That, too." He stood and offered his elbow. So she stood and walked with him. They walked and watched the crowds (or listened to them). Some of the musicians were quite good, Aranea thought. There was some light gambling to be had and some folks were enjoying themselves that way. Children were running around, couples were doing some cuddling of their own here and there. "Gratitude Day seems to be a hit," Aranea commented. It was interesting seeing happy people. She hadn't seen that in a long time. Or ever, really.

"Yes, it does seem to be good for morale," he replied. "Any particular event you wish to see?"

"It's all rather new to me," she admitted. "There wasn't much music in Niflheim, you know. No parties, really. People mostly tried to mind their own business, and I was kept busy with the war."

"We had a lot of parties in Insomnia," he said. "Birthdays and holidays, and for some teens, weekends were enough. And there was always music playing somewhere."

"All those other people going out on dates, huh?" she teased.

"Definitely. Come to think of it, none of us really dated much. Prompto was too shy; Noct, too sullen. Gladio might have but never mentioned it. I was too busy."

"Those poor Insomnian young women, deprived of your attentions." Then she got serious a bit. "I didn't date exactly either. I had to maintain a certain image with my men, and usually, when I met new men, I was supposed to kick their asses more than not. Ravus was good looking, sure, but he knew it. And he was a man on a mission. Never got sidetracked by romance. Loqi was too pretty and quite full of himself. Ardyn was a snake. None of them were worth turning my head. Biggs and Wedge are more like brothers to me. I couldn't think of them that way if I tried."

Aranea had her bagged dinner, but Ignis had to retrieve his from his room. They went to the Outlook to have a picnic. The sandwiches weren't all that romantic, but the violinist playing up there tried hard to make up for it.

"Do you dance, Aranea," Ignis asked her after his phone gave a beep in his pocket. Seven thirty, she realized.

"I never learned per se," she replied. "But I've had to fake it once or twice. As long as the man knew what he was doing, I could follow along."

"We're in luck, then," he told her. "I know what I'm doing. I had to take lessons, of course."

"Is there anything you didn't have to learn?"

"Origami comes to mind," he said. He stood. "I don't feel like dancing all night, mind you, but I'd like to spend some time on the dance floor with a beautiful woman." He bowed and offered his hand. "Will you do me the honor of accompanying me to the dance, Miss Highwind?"

Aranea smiled and took his hand. As he helped her up, she said in kind, "The honor would be all mine, Mr. Scientia. I'd be delighted." She took his arm. "Though I do need to change. This isn't exactly dancing attire."

Ignis wanted to change, too, so they stopped by his place again. Ever the gentleman, he changed in the bathroom and let her use the larger room. She did own one fancy gown. She'd brought it with her and stashed it in his room when they'd come for his dinner. He, of course, was dressed sharply. They looked good together, she thought.

They made it to the gym by eight-fifteen. There were streamers hanging from the ceiling and a quartet playing chamber music in the corner. Those dancing all seemed to know the right steps. That was good, she thought. She really wasn't into freestyle. Iris spotted them and ran over.

"Aranea, Ignis, you made it! You both look fabulous!"

"You look great yourself," Aranea offered.

"You're not dancing?" Ignis asked.

"Thanks," she said. Then she replied to Ignis. "I got one dance out of Gladio. Prompto's sulking because Cindy isn't coming. She's catching up with Cid back at the hotel. Anyway, he told me he doesn't know how."

"He's lying," Ignis told her. "I had to teach him, too. Noct wanted to go to their senior prom."

"Aha!" Iris exclaimed. "Thanks for the intel." She rushed off, likely to confront Prompto.

Ignis leaned close. "They went stag, of course. Probably hugged the walls or the punchbowl the entire time."

Ignis led, but Aranea steered. He worried he'd run them into every other couple there. He was a brilliant dancer, graceful and sure-footed. Between following his leading and watching other couples, Aranea found herself dancing with relative ease. She felt like a princess in the Citadel dancing with a handsome prince. It was all rather new and intoxicating. And she didn't want it to end.


	18. Birds and Bees

**Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Birds and Bees**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

The evening had gone very well, Ignis thought. Until it hadn't. Aranea and he had ended up back at his room. There was no privacy where she was staying, after all. But Aranea was ready to go farther than he was, physically. The prospect of consummating their relationship rather terrified him, and it hadn't ended well.

It wasn't that he was afraid to commit. He wanted to be with her. He didn't want anyone else. He didn't think he should marry any time soon, however. But that was more about Noctis and the darkened world, than her and him.

Ignis knew the rudimentary basics of sex, of course, but he'd never dated before Aranea, and it just hadn't been part of his life so far. He wished now he could talk to his dad, or even his mum, but they'd died when he was quite small. His uncle was a bachelor. If he wasn't celebate, he'd never shared that information with Ignis. Harry might have been a good candidate, if he'd survived. Ignis had never really gotten close with George the way Harry had. Cor was out of the question. That really left only one person. So Ignis knocked on his door.

"Who is it?" Cid barked from behind the door. The door did not open.

"It's Ignis," he replied. "I'm sorry if I've disturbed you, but I was hoping we could talk."

The door opened. "Come on in then." Cid walked away from the door, and Ignis realized he didn't know if the layout was the same as in his room. Fortunately, Cid patted the seat of a chair, so Ignis shut the door behind him and sat down.

His heart was pounding. This was probably the second most awkward position he'd ever been in. The first had been fifteen minutes ago with Aranea.

"What's this about?" Cid asked.

Ignis took a shaky breath, and wiped his sweaty palms on his pant legs. "You have a granddaughter, so you must have had a child, and therefore, you must have had-"

"Oh, it's that kind of talk." Cid blew out a long breath. "Didn't your dad-"

"Died when I as three," Ignis told him. "It never came up with my uncle."

"And he's gone with the attack on Insomnia."

Ignis nodded. "He would've been in the Citadel."

"Okay," Cid finally said. "I guess I *am** your best option."

"I, uh," Ignis started. His mouth had gone dry. "I know the basics, scientifically speaking."

"Uh huh," Cid said. "And Aranea is willing?"

"Very," Ignis said. "I just.…

"You didn't get out much, huh?" Cid surmised. "Okay, real lovemaking is a lot more complicated than basic mechanics would have you think. Especially where women are concerned. Where men are like bicycles, women are like the Regalia. But the first thing is you have to have two people who are both ready. She is. You're not."

"But how do I get ready?" Ignis said. That was the crux of the issue. "How do I get from here to there? How do I stop thinking and get…there?"

"You don't have to stop thinking to get there," Cid told him. "You just think about her and how you feel right then and there. Let yourself feel it and you'll get there just fine."

Ignis let that sink in. He started to calm a bit. That actually sounded doable. But Cid had said it was complicated.

"I take it Aranea's had some experience in this?"

Ignis nodded. She hadn't told him those stories, though. "If so, it wasn't in relationships. More in the line of duty, so to speak. She was a mercenary for Niflheim."

"Well, that can work in your favor," Cid said. "You can let her take the lead and you just follow along. But I meant what I said about women so there are some things you gotta know. You can't just put tab A in slot B and so on. You move too fast and it's like trying to put gas in the tank while the gas cap's still on. It's one thing for her to be ready up here." He paused, then added, "In her head. Her body has to be ready or it just won't work."

"How does she get ready?" Ignis asked, puzzled by the metaphor.

"You help her," Cid said. "With all the stuff that happens before you put the gas in."

Ignis had to give that some thought. Did he mean foreplay?

"Now some women open slowly. Outside to in. You have to be patient and gentle until she's ready for the rest of you. And *always** try to let her finish first."

That opened up a big question. "How will I know when that happens?"

"You'll know," Cid replied. "You can't miss it." Cid got up and walked to the door. So Ignis followed. "First time's the hardest," he said, clapping Ignis on the back. "But you'll get the hang of it."

Ignis bade him goodnight and returned to his room, still confused and a little trepidatious about the whole thing. But he felt better about it. He heard a paper flutter as he opened his door. He picked up the paper and closed the door behind him. Bubble-ink. WHEN YOU'RE READY. WE'VE GOT TIME.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm a notorious prude in my family. And yet was able to talk about this to my kids with no problem. I did wait until I was married, and Cid's advice here comes from some of my experience. As does Ignis's hesitance. However, if you're thinking there's going to be smut in this story, think again. I'm sure the deed will happen. But I will not be giving a full-on play-by-play when it does. As I said, I'm a prude.


	19. Hitting the Fan

**Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Hitting the Fan**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

It was turning into a bad day. Reports started coming in early. Construction was being run out of section A-3 by a large daemon with three heads and a handful of smaller ones as well. Ignis ordered a full lock-down of all Lestallum. Only Security, then, were able to be outside. Internal Security in the sector started the fight and held until reinforcements from other sectors could join them.

Then the airships came. From the east, instead of Niflheim. Ignis called Aranea right away. But she said they weren't hers. She's spotted them heading from Insomnia and was on her way to intercept. Bina was watching from the window behind Ignis's desk. "They're dropping MTs! They're in the streets!"

Cor's people, those still in the city, were heading for the daemons. There were only a relative handful of internal security left in this part of the city. Ignis could hear them fighting closer to the front gate. He heard more MTs heading the opposite way. Toward the power-plant. Ignis ran down the stairs. Bina ran after him. "You're not going out there?"

"Someone has to," Ignis told her. "They're going for the plant!"

"You're not armed," she argued.

Ignis summoned his daggers and firebound them. "I am now. Open the door."

She stopped protesting and opened it. MTs were quieter than daemons. Still, they made noise when they moved. Those with guns, of course, were loudest, but Ignis heard the axes and swords, too. Ignis hit the first one with fire, then moved toward a group of them. He switched to ice then slashed at them quickly. They went down. He heard new airships above him. He hoped they were Aranea's.

"Started without me, I see," she said as she dropped beside him. "I sent my MTs toward the daemons. My men are here. They have clickers on their arms. Try not to kill them."

Ignis heard two men move up, with a quiet click-click-click to set them apart from the MTs. The men passed them. "I'll do my best," he told her.

MA's further up," Aranea said. "You and I can take them together."

"You go high and I go low?" Ignis suggested.

"Works for me!" She grabbed his arm and they ran, dodging MTs and her men as they fought.

She pulled him down behind a barrier. He could hear the MA's heavy mechanical steps. "Nine o'clock high. You got it?"

"Loud and clear," Ignis told her.

"Follow me low," Aranea told him. Ignis listed for the rustling of her clothing and armor. The loud MT was closer than before.

Ignis threw fire as she left him. Then he rushed forward. She slammed down on top of it, and he switched to his lance to impale it as it fell. "Got it!" she called. "One eighty!"

Ignis rolled back the way he'd come, just out of the way of the blast as the MA was destroyed.

"We've got two more," she said, taking his arm again. "We make a good team."

An hour later, it was all clear. The plant had taken a few hits, but was still functional. There were casualties. A few construction workers, two fighters, one of Aranea's men. Five other soldiers, three fighters, and four civilians were wounded. Cor said her MTs, all wearing blue arm bands to show their allegiance, had turned the tide against the Cerberus. The wounded were taken to the hospital. A-3 was sealed off while repairs started near the plant and factory.

Ignis, Aranea, and Cor met in the latter's office after they'd returned from the fight. "It had to be Ardyn," Aranea said. "Those ships came from Insomnia."

"He's left us alone for three and a half years," Cor replied. "Why hit us now?"

"We're always growing," Ignis said, "pushing back the darkness that he orchestrated."

"Can this be a sign of the King's immanent return?" Cor asked.

Ignis shook his head. "I haven't switched glasses yet. Or how I do my hair."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, right," Aranea said. "You saw yourself, too."

"The vision," Ignis explained. "When the voice said 'others had sacrificed,' I got a glimpse of each of our faces. I had different glasses and hair, and these scars. Gladio had a man tail and Prompto had a goatee. I haven't told either of them those details."

"So no king until after those changes," Cor summarized.

"No king until _after_ those changes," Ignis corrected. "Noctis was older, by years. If I had to guess, I'd say mid-to-late twenties. Us changing our looks won't make him come any sooner."

"So for Ardyn," Aranea added, bringing them back the attack, "this was just a bit of a whim. He could just as easily done it because he was bored."

"That means it could happen again," Cor stated. "We need to be better prepared. Everyone who is able should have at least a minimum level of fighting skills, to help in their own defense."

"That would keep you very busy," Ignis replied, not negating the idea. "Perhaps Gladio and a few others could share that workload."

Cor agreed. "Gladio did train Noctis from an early age. He'd probably do well with the students. Physical education should be mandatory anyway."

"You'll need a place to train the adults," Aranea suggested. "They'll have to be big classes to train that many people. You'll need a large gym."

"I can get Construction on that," Ignis offered. "We'll need each department to work out time for their workers, too."

"I'll find some more trainers," Cor said. "Let me know when you have a building."


	20. Unplumbed Depths

**Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Unplumbed Depths**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Dr. Marin had called Ignis to the hospital again. Ignis hoped it wasn't because one of this friends was dying this time. Bina went with him on this trip. EMT Mitch was on golf cart duty today.

"I'm glad you could come," Dr. Marin said. She had another person with her, doctor or nurse or scientist. Ignis wasn't sure and she didn't introduce her companion right away. "I've got something to show you.

She began to walk and Ignis followed her and her companion's steps. They led him and Bina down into the basement. It was cold where they stopped. "We're in the morgue," Bina whispered.

"Dr. Pyn, here, noticed something in our wounded from the attack last week."

A younger person, male, cleared his throat. "One of the things we've been pondering in our classes is the nature of the daemons. The general consensus is that they are creatures, akin to animals. Maybe some of them are, the really large ones perhaps. But not all of them." It sounded like a long drawer was opened, and Ignis realized that was exactly what it was. Bina gasped beside him.

"What is it?" Ignis asked, concerned.

"It's a woman," Bina said. "But she half looks like a daemon."

"She didn't look like that when she was brought in," Dr. Marin commented. "We've got four others like this. There are two upstairs. They opted to fight it. To let us try to find a cure. We have them restrained under lock-down."

"And these?" Ignis asked. He was fairly certain of the answer.

"They didn't want to turn," Dr. Pyn replied. "One died on his own."

Ignis knew that people could be turned into daemons, but he'd always assumed it was specifically decided. The Emporer and Ravus, for example. Prompto said Besithia was turning when he shot him. He pulled out his phone and called Gladio.

"I'm kind of busy right now, Iggy," Gladio replied. Ignis could hear the sounds of angry beasts behind his voice.

"I have a quick question about Zegnautus Keep. Before we found Prompto, there were cages, some shad a bad smell."

"Dead daemons in them," he replied. "Why?"

"We'll talk when you have more time," Ignis said. "Stay safe." He hung up.

"Are you going to share?" Dr. Marin asked.

"Why have daemons in cells?" Ignis thought aloud. "They weren't cages. They were cells. I know of three people that were transformed into daemons: The Emperor and High Commander of Niflheim. And General Verstael Besithia. He was also infecting cloned infants to make MTs."

Bina was used to his verbal thinking. "We know the Nifs used daemons in the war, particularly very big ones. Didn't they capture some of them to experiment?"

"That could explain the cells," Ignis said. "But there were loose daemons all over the keep. What if they were citizens who didn't successfully turn? When we were there, Gladio and I heard news reports on the radio about daemon outbreaks. They couldn't fully control them."

"The Emperor was a daemon?" Pyn asked. "By choice? Why would anyone want that? I doubt anyone could have forced him or secretly made him into a daemon."

"No," Ignis agreed. "And Prompto had said Besithia was looking forward to his turning. Why? Ardyn was there. He was the Chancellor of Niflheim. He advised the Emperor. He probably convinced them it would make them powerful to use daemons, to become them. Though, the High Commander wasn't turned willingly. He'd been killed as a traitor. Only then was he made into a daemon. He begged us to kill him, to end it."

"How would the Chancellor get the daemons to start with?" Dr. Marin asked.

"That is a good question, Doctor," Ignis replied. "There's obviously more to him than simply a man. Gladio told me his face changed, so that he looked decayed. Like the star scourge. Only he should be dead by now if that were the case. And we know he could change faces, appear to be someone else. He used magic to attack Ravus and myself. There are few bloodlines left in the world who can use magic like that. I can summon weapons and spells. But that is magic on loan from the King of Lucis. The Nox Fleuret line was the second most powerful. That line has ended. But none of the other lines were named Izunia. Why hide his true name?"

"I'll leave those questions to you, then," Dr. Marin decided. "We'll try to find something to stop the change. Everyone who fights the daemons should be warned."

"We'll make sure of that," Bina assured her.

"Well-timed potions may be able to prevent the infection," Ignis said. "I've fought many daemons and Imperial soldiers, yet I have not been infected. When wounded, I or my friends used a potion."

"So your scars are not from a daemon?" Dr. Pyn asked.

"No, though you could say that Ardyn caused them indirectly," Ignis told them. "I caused my wounds."

"Sir?" Bina asked.

"I needed power to protect the King from Ardyn," Ignis explained. "This was merely the cost."

Dr. Marin steered them all back out of the morgue. "We could take a look at your eye, you know," she said gently.

"It's been years, Doctor," Ignis replied. And it had. He didn't like to talk about his eye, but it didn't bother him like it used to. Not as much as it used to. "I doubt that anything could change it now. But thank you just the same."

Dr. Marin left them along the way, but Dr. Pyn walked them out to where Mitch was waiting with the golf cart. "Your other eye is missing, correct?" Dr. Pyn asked.

Ignis stopped and turned toward him. This was perhaps going on a bit too long for his comfort. "It was removed," he said, "due to infection."

"I was just thinking," the younger man went on, "a small camera and an implant connecting to the optic nerve. Maybe it could give you some kind of sight. Someday."

Ignis was intrigued. "You think that's possible?"

"I don't want to get your hopes or anything," Dr. Pyn said. "It could be possible. My dad used to work on cochlear implants, to help the deaf hear. Why not something similar for the blind? It's just that a lot of knowledge and technology has been lost. We either have to find it or rediscover it for ourselves. But you'd be interested if we could someday manage it?"

"I certainly wouldn't turn it down," Ignis told him. "But I understand. We have other priorities for the moment. Blind or not, I will see them through."

"Yes, sir," Dr. Pyn said, and he took Ignis's hand and shook it. "But I do get a little free time for hobbies. I'll think on it."

Bina helped Ignis into the cart and Mitch set off.

"He's kind of cute," Bina said.

"I really hadn't noticed," Ignis replied. He heard her chuckle beside him.


	21. Turn a Blind Eye

Author's Note: I think this is the last story for Part II. Part III will be next of course. I've gone with sequencials in Part I, and idioms in Part II. What theme for the title of Part III?

 **Momentis  
Part II: Lestallum**

 **Turn a Blind Eye**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Cid and Talcott were his company at dinner. And neither was particularly talkative today. Talcott had his homework on the table. He rubbed his arms now and then. He had said he felt a little sore from Gladiolus's training. His voice had stopped cracking. Ignis thought he was quite a bit taller than he remembered. His mental image still had Talcott as a ten-year-old. But his voice came from a foot or more above the image's head. Ignis decided he'd have to work on adjusting his image. But how was he to know how Talcott looked as he matured?

Aranea was out again. She'd brought in sixteen new refugees from Insomnia just the week before. Ignis could hear some of them at the table behind him. They were being quizzed on the present state of the city. Mostly there were horror stories of daemons in the streets, lack of resources and such. But then they mentioned Ardyn, and Ignis lent his full attention to the voices behind him.

Adryn had apparently been specifically destroying signs of the monarchy. Anything that mentioned or depicted the former kings and queens of Lucis. He was especially destructive to images of the Founder King. They did hear rumors that one painting still hung properly in the Citadel. The one about the prophecy.

Why would he keep that one painting, and what so riled him about the Founder King? If he were a man only, Regis would be the King of his lifetime. But he was not a man, not now anyway. Had he been, at one time? Could he possibly be as old as the founding of Lucis?

Bina interrupted his thoughts. "Good evening, Ignis, Talcott, Cid. Ignis, it's nearly time for the opening."

"The new library?" Talcott said excitedly. He closed his homework folder. "Can I ride with you?"

It was Sunday. Normally, this was Ignis's day off. But opening the city's new library was hardly a chore. Ignis stood. "I do not see why not."

"I don't get the fuss over a bunch of dusty old books," Cid said.

"They're not just books," Talcott said. "They're stories and things to learn."

As the three of them walked outside, Ignis pointed out that it wasn't really a new library. "Lestallum had a very prestigious library for decades. We just have finally got it restored and structurally safe again."

"I know," Talcott said. "But it's like new. New to Lestallum now. I think I've read just about everything in the school library already. It will be great to read some real history books."

That got Ignis thinking. The history of Lucis. Perhaps he could do some research himself. No. Of course he couldn't.

"Wanna drive?" Terah, their EMT driver, asked.

"Really?" Talcott asked in return.

"Yeah, you gotta learn sometimes and really, it's just a golf cart. You could run faster."

"Can I, sir?" Talcott asked Ignis.

"Alright," Ignis said. "But keep your eyes forward and don't run over anyone!"

"Thanks you, sir," Talcott said. "I won't let you down."

Ignis climbed in the back with Bina, while Terah sat up front with Talcott, giving him pointers. The take-off lurched a bit but then the ride smoothed out. Ignis thought back to when he taught Noctis how to drive. And then Prompto. Both had been a little too fast with the gas pedal at first.

Ignis heard the crowd as they neared the library. Terah had Talcott stop the cart. Bina got out and took Ignis's arm. The crowd parted for them and Talcott took the opportunity to tag along so he could get a good spot. There was a small wooden stage beside the doors. Gloria Fince, the Head Librarian, shook his hand as he stepped up to it. She then put a pair of scissors in his hand. Bina placed his other hand on the ribbon so he'd know where it was, then clipped the microphone to his collar.

Ignis cleared his throat, then turned toward the crowds. "Lestallum has a proud history of learning. We're doing our best now to carry on that legacy. Our teachers have taught our children the basics of reading, writing, and maths, but also history and the sciences. You have taught our interns as they worked beside you. You watched them become skilled apprentices and then coworkers. We have advanced doctors, and scientists, architects and engineers, planners, and organizers, supervisors and foremen, agricultural experts and incredible artists. Now that we have unearthed this lost library, all that learning can only increase. But there's more than that. There's fiction in here, too. A good book can produce a movie in our minds, take us to new worlds, and inspire us. I'm very proud to open this library to the people of Lestallum."

He turned and cut the ribbon as the crowd cheered. Gloria spoke up beside him. "There will be a checkout limit of five books per person for now. We can draw up waiting lists for books, too. Come on in!"

"I'll give you the audio tour," she offered just to him.

"That would be lovely," Ignis said. Bina took his arm and they stepped down from the podium and through the crowds.

Gloria was to his right, and Bina was to his left. Talcott was lost in the crowd, he was sure. "To the left of the main entrance," Gloria was saying, "is our main desk, where we'll check in returns and check out books for patrons. Every person will be issued a paper library card. Theradis is working on a computerized system for us, but we'll go old school for now.

"To the right is our Resource Desk. They'll always be a librarian on site to help someone find just the right resource material," she went on. They walked further in. "On the ground floor here, we have Children's and Young Adult fiction on the left. Adult fiction is to the right. We're about halfway between the front and back entrances now, and there's a large staircase just to our right."

They walked up and Bina told him when he was about to reach the last step. "The upper floors are divided more by the staircase than the main hall, as it was downstairs," Gloria said. "If we look back toward the main entrance, we have periodicals. Most of our magazines and newspapers predate the darkness, of course, though we are collecting editions of our local paper Vyv had been putting out. To the other side then is a section that might interest you, Mr. Scientia, if you can find a player. We have a decent collection of audiobooks, mostly fiction but some nonfiction as well. Movies are all the way back. We put them out even though we know there are far too few DVD players to make them very popular. Shall we go up again?"

They went up the next flight of stairs. "This is where we've stocked textbooks and technical manuals." They continued going up. "Nonfiction is on next floor, history toward the main entrance and science and other disciplines to the rear." And finally they reached the top. "This is my favorite floor. We keep our oldest and most delicate books here. Our research collection."

Ignis had hear the sounds from the other floors below him. Happy residents moving through the stacks, pages being flipped, books being slipped out of or back on to shelves. It was quieter here. But it was the smell that hit him hardest. The scent of old leather-bound books was unlike any other. It took him back to his student days. Back to quiet rainy afternoons with Noct when they were little, or later when he and Prompto were doing homework. He closed his eye to take it all in.

But when he opened it again, he felt his stomach drop. What good was a book to him now? Every page would feel like a blank piece of paper. Every paragraph, every sentence, every word, lost to him for the rest of his life.

"Are you alright, Ignis?" Bina asked.

His voice was steady when he spoke. "Thank you, Gloria. I shall have to find a CD player, I should think. I do need to get back, though, as I've made other plans for the evening, and I'd like time to prepare. If you'd like to stay, Bina, and check out something, I can make my way back down to Terah."

"Nonsense," Gloria said. "Bina, you stay. I'll walk Mr. Scientia out."

They all walked down the stairs, this time with Gloria holding his arm. Bina left him on the ground floor. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ignis," she called.

Gloria guided him back to the main entrance. "You're a bibliophile, aren't you?" she asked when they were past the main crowd.

"I was," Ignis admitted. "Rather hard now."

"We're still logging books in the basement," she told him. "We may yet find some Braille down there."

"I haven't learned it yet," Ignis said. "But even then, it would only be a small fraction of the books we have in print, wouldn't it?"

Terah walked up to them. "Ready to head back, sir?" Ignis turned to Gloria and held out his hand. She shook it and he thanked her again. He let Terah guide him away to the cart. "Will Bina and Talcott be joining us?" Terah asked.

"They'll find their way back," Ignis said.

Ignis went back to his room and sat on his bed. He opened his bedside table drawer and pulled his notebook from it. Pulling back the string, he took the bubble-ink notes he'd saved and read each one again. These were the only things he'd read since Altissia. Three years, seven days, three weeks, and three days since he'd woken up to darkness.

He slept some of the time, and his dreams were vividly colorful. He could always see in his dreams. In this dream, he was in a library. Only every book he opened was blank inside. He woke up and leaned over to his window. He pulled back the curtains and placed his hand on the glass. He could barely tell the difference in the darkness the lights outside made.

Gladio and Prompto were out there somewhere. Using their skills to help people and becoming better fighters. Since coming to Lestallum with them, he'd seen—heard—them less and less. He, himself, had only been outside the gates one other time, and it was only as far as the edge of the terrace. If he weren't blind, would he be satisfied to stay put in Lestallum, alone, for three years and a month while they were out fighting enemies and protecting people? If he weren't blind, would he spend all that time training and not actually using his skills?

How could he fight alongside Noctis if he hadn't actually fought in years? How could he be ready? How could he know he could do it? That he wouldn't just be swallowed up by the void and not able to move as he had been in the tunnel?

He checked the time on his phone. Three years, seven months, three weeks and four days blind. He put on his glasses and grabbed his cane. He left his room, went down the hall, down the stairs, across the lobby and out the doors. The streets at this hour were all but deserted. Given the lights, it didn't look like night to everyone else. But it didn't look any different to Ignis either. Not really. Only in his mind. He made his way to the gate.

"Sir," a voice said. The gate was always manned. "It's me, Stan. Whatcha doing here at this hour?

"Leaving," Ignis told him. "Open the gate, please."

Stan stuttered a bit, "For-for good?"

Ignis would have rolled his eyes. "I'm not so stupid as to think I'd survive out there until the King returned. No, not for good. Probably for a few days. Now open the gate."

"The Marshall wouldn't like it," Stan said, stalling. There was a pounding of feet behind Ignis and he turned. He'd tell the Marshall off if he had to. He would not be treated like an invalid.

"Mister Ignis, sir?" Talcott was out of breath. "I thought I heard you up. You're not going out there, are you, sir?"

Ignis turned back to Stan. "I don't take orders from the Marshall anymore. It's the other way around. Stan, open the gate."

Stan sighed, he walked a few steps away and Ignis heard a lever turn over. The heavy gate began to move.

"Sir, please," Talcott protested. "It's not safe out there."

"I'm more used to the darkness than any of you," Ignis told them. Then he walked out. And kept walking. He could do this. He'd been here before. He'd driven these roads, ran these fields, walked these paths. He could do it. He had to do it. His damn eyes had taken enough from him.


	22. I Will Follow

Author's Note: Why has it taken me so long to update when I was so quick before? Well, I was stuck on where Ignis was going. And then I lost my job and 2/3 of our income. That is devastating and stressful. So to battle both problems, I've been playing FFXV even though I said I wouldn't. Well, I started with my husband's profile which meant I got a level 60 Noctis and over 100k gil to start with. Made things a lot easier, I'm sure. Anyway, it provided an escape from the stress and knowledge for the story. Turns out a) Lestallum is small and rather dumpy, and b) there's a great gorge cutting it off from the lands to the south for quite a ways. So I had to work around the gorge and have to let Lestallum, in my story, NOT be canonical at all. Its position is, the gate is like in Comrades, and there is a power plant. Everything else, is pretty much my own imagination so that's that. And so, now that I've worked that out, I have a new chapter here, and some new ideas for pieces of the rest of the story.

Also, I made a few minor tweaks to the earliest chapters. I changed a lot of campgrounds to havens and gave the Imperial commander his name.

 **Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **I Will Follow**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Aranea went through the last drawer in the garage of the abandoned house in the district they'd been clearing. Sadly, the family that had lived here had chosen suicide together some time ago. It had been long enough that there wasn't even a foul smell anymore. She had found one thing of interest in the garage. One of those oven gloves. It was supposed to make one able to take a hot pan out of the oven without any other protection. Specs could use such a thing.

She left the garage and moved to the front of the house where Cor was waiting. "Left what?" Cor said. He had his phone to his ear. "Why?" Cor was rarely emotional, Aranea thought, so she moved closer, intrigued.

"Why did you open the gate for him?" Cor continued. Aranea couldn't make out the voice on the other side of the call. Cor sighed. "Which way did he go?"

Aranea was starting to get the drift. Someone Cor didn't want to leave something had left that something. She figured she knew both the someone and the something. Still, she wouldn't interrupt Cor's call. He still out-ranked her in the grand scheme of humanity's attempted survival.

Cor hung up the phone then dialed again. Aranea waited. Cor hung up after a few rings.

"What's got your shorts in a bunch?" she asked him after he swore.

"Ignis has left Lestallum?"

Well, she supposed that was newsworthy. "And?" she asked. "You trained him, didn't you?"

"Alone," Cor added. "I know he's capable one on one, but he could get outnumbered or outmatched. It wouldn't even have to be daemons. One sighted man taking on a behemoth would still be akin to suicide."

"Luckily for him," she responded, "there are no behemoths anywhere near Lestallum. And seeing as he can't drive, he's still near Lestallum." Still, he did have a point. And it was past midnight. Ignis had to work in the morning. Something had to have happened to drive him out so suddenly.

"Look," she told Cor, "if it will make you feel better, I'll find him. But I won't bring him back until he's ready to come back. And I won't save him unless he's literally dying. Ignis Scientia doesn't do anything without a reason."

"I just want to keep him safe," Cor said in his defense. "I'm not trying to keep him locked up. He's just too important to lose now."

"I get it," she told him. "He's the closest thing you've got to a king right now. But he never thought he'd be that, you know." With that, she turned and walked away.

"Southwest," Cor called after her. She waved and kept walking. She had two ships nearby. She took one and manned it with only two of her MTs. By now, Theradis had improved her code. They were much better at obeying direct orders now. Any orders. They could fight beats and other MTs as well as daemons now.

She started over the old Outlook at Lestallum, the one outside the walls. He'd had a few hours head start she knew, but she also knew he was on foot. There was only one way to go to the southwest, for a while anyway. Rock and then fencing forced one to remain on the road for some way. She sent her ship that way and used binoculars to look for him.

Many daemons preferred to appear when prey was near rather than to just stand out there waiting for prey to come. So she looked for that. Many of the daemons stood out bright in the darkness, though not all. She watched for that brightness and movement of any sort.

And she wasn't disappointed. A red giant was just coming out of the grasslands on the south side of the road up ahead. She had her MTs hover the ship and hopped out. She ordered them to follow her, at high altitude and to stay about a quarter mile back. She did not want Ignis to hear that ship.

She kept herself back as well for fear he'd hear her. She was impressed, really, that he'd made it this far. Was he really going on memory alone? She held up the binoculars again. He was using ice. He stayed behind the giant as often as he could and sliced at it again and again. It took more than fifteen minutes but the daemon went down. Ignis stood there a moment after, catching his breath. Then he wandered around the vicinity slowly, and she realized he'd misplaced his cane in the fray. That put him at a distinct disadvantage in that terrain, and she thought for a moment to go and help.

But she'd said she wouldn't. And he clearly wasn't dying. So she watched and waited, until she had her own daemons to deal with. Just a trio of flan, hardly an effort. She dispatched them quickly and took up the binoculars again. He wasn't there. She ran forward and scanned again. She spotted movement and adjusted her angle. He was running. She really hoped he'd found his stick or he was going to run headfirst into a rock or tree out there.

She ran forward, stopping every ten minutes or so to find him again. By five in the morning, such as it was, he stumbled up onto Alkyrie Haven's campground and collapsed. She hoped that was just meant he was tired and nothing worse. Aranea called for her ship. She was tired, too. She had one MT keep watch on the haven, with orders to wake her when Ignis moved.

She slept for three hours. Apparently, Ignis wasn't done. She set down again, far enough that he wouldn't hear her and got out. She followed him, fighting her own battles when necessary. She called her ship to help locate him as the terrain was getting rockier with more trees.

Ignis only stopped long enough to fight what was in his way. If he could outrun them, he did so. Most daemons didn't really chase their prey the way some beasts would. Still, it meant that she later found those he avoided and had to deal with them as they were in her way.

He crossed the road to Tollhends Stronghold then continued south southwest. He turned right at the intersection and she assumed he'd cross the Rachsia Bridge. But he hopped off it on the north side and crossed over the concrete levee and disappeared. Aranea was not as familiar with the area as she'd like. She could call the ship but MTs couldn't speak. They couldn't tell her what they saw. The ship was hovering high just north of the bridge on this side of the river. Aranea took a chance. She took off her boots and ran forward onto the bridge as quietly as she could. She looked over the side to the north. He was fishing.

She thought she remembered another haven nearby, northwest of Old Lestallum. But it was surrounded by rocks and trees. There might be beasts nearby, and there were sure to be daemons. Spiracorn travelled these parts with an occasional havocfang to be spotted now and then. Animals were rarer now though. Between the darkness and the daemons, they just weren't as plentiful. The daemons either spooked or killed them just to kill something. Hunters, on the other hand, killed for meat to feed the population. Daemon kills were spoiled and inedible. It was an awful waste.

Aranea decided to stay in front of him then. Maybe, she'd draw some of the daemons, leaving him less to deal with. She crossed the bridge and looked back at him. He was pulling up a good sized fish. He took it and left the dock. He disappeared for a bit but reappeared on the bridge, as she'd expected. He'd left the roads as soon as he could up to this point, so she did the same. She put her boots back on and stepped onto the grass on the south side of the road. She moved southwest, aiming for the haven and looked back every fifteen minutes. Her ship was still hovering over him. He was headed her way.

Aranea heard some spiracorn being harassed to her right. So she diverted toward them. There were four imps in amongst the small herd. Meat was meat. Aranea rushed in and killed the imps one by one, while avoiding the horns of the spiracorn as best she could. She killed one of the latter, then left the area. She texted the coordinates to Cor. He'd send someone for the meat.

She looked up to find the ship closer than she'd anticipated. She moved on. Another giant appeared in her path. Ignis might hear it so she ducked around and kept running. She was leaving the giant for Ignis, but he'd proved capable already.

When she was a good distance, she turned and watched. It was a regular iron giant, weaker than the red and Ignis held his own. Satisfied, she turned and jogged on. Until the fiend was down, Ignis wouldn't be gaining on her. It took hours but she finally arrived at Dainse Haven. She started the fire, checked the location of the ship, then waited. Half an hour later, he climbed up to the campground. Then he stopped, startled by the crackling fire.

"Hi, Specs," she said. "Taking the day off?"

He relaxed and came to the fire. "This is rather more work than anything I do in Lestallum," he countered. "You were following me?"

Damn. She'd tried hard to keep him from knowing. "Just making sure Cor could sleep at night. He was worried."

"He's not my father," Ignis snapped. "He needn't bother."

"Clearly," she agreed. "And I only followed. I could see you didn't need my help. So I didn't help. You had something to prove to Cor coming out here?"

He sighed. "To myself," he said quietly. "Are you more hungry or more tired?"

"Ooh, that's a toss-up," she admitted. "What about you?"

"I haven't eaten since dinner last night. I've got trout. Not much more than that, but it'll do."

"I may have a spice or two on my ship," she offered. "Got a tent, too, and other gear."

Ignis nodded. "That would certainly make our stay here more agreeable, I should think."

Aranea made the call as he started preparing the fish. Her ship set down beside the campground. She had her MTs carry the stuff up them sent them to check out the old Niff base at Tollhend to see about supplies. She busied herself with setting up the tent while he worked. She made sure to set up a little hand-washing stand next to the camp stove so he could wash up after handling the raw meat. She also gave him that oven glove to use as he might. It wasn't the best meal he'd ever cooked for her, but it was filling and pleasant to the palate.

"Did Noct teach you to fish?" she asked as they ate.

"I watched him plenty of times," Ignis replied. "I'm not as good at it. Stabbed myself with a lure at least three times. And some fish have rather sharp teeth or even barbs. It's not nearly as fun for me as it was for him. He took a lot of enjoyment from it."

"Well, you can fish well enough to not starve. That's one up on me," she told him. "Maybe, when he comes back, before it all goes down, you two can find a moment to fish together."

"That would be nice," he said.

"So what sent you out here, Ignis?" She put her empty plate down on the ground next to her and moved closer to him. "It's not like you to go unprepared like this."

He sighed and nodded. "The library."

She was not expecting that answer. What had a library to do with running blind through the daemon-filled countryside? Not sure I see the connection," she said.

"It was the smell of those books," he told her. "It took me back to my school days back in the Grand Library in the Citadel. I spent hours and hours amongst those books. I rather loved it."

Aranea laid her head on his shoulder. There was nothing she could say to make that better. "I'm sorry," she said. "That must have been hard."

"I just felt I had to get out, to show myself I could do this. I could survive out here. That my blindness wouldn't turn me into the fragile being Cor keeps thinking I am."

"He's trained you," she told him. "I don't think he thinks you fragile. I think he just thinks you're very important. He's lost two kings now. It weighs on him."

"I'm not a king," Ignis said. "I never will be."

"No, but you are the architect of Lestallum's survival."

"They were surviving before I got there," he argued.

"Yeah, but since then, they are thriving, Ignis." She took his hand and squeezed it. "You don't need a library to survive. It's been dark for nearly three years. All of us just being alive is amazing. It's beyond amazing to think we've gone farther than that. There's art again. You still haven't changed your hair, so how many more years do we have? What will Noctis think when he comes back and sees what we've accomplished?"

He squeezed back. "That is a good point," he conceded. "I want to give him a world worth saving."

She kissed him at that. "You just can't help being perfect, can you?" she teased lightly. She stood up and pulled him with her. "Come with me. We can clean up later."


	23. Where You Lead

Author's Note: Remember that talk with Cid? You are warned. Read at your own risk. You can skip this chapter and not lose out on the rest of the story.

 **Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **Where You Lead**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Aranea helped him duck through the tent's opening and zipped it shut. He seemed surprised he could stand up fully. "Your tent is taller than the one we had," he said.

"Yet it got all four of you guys to fit," she commented. She had already laid out the bed rolls. She had something else in mind now. She hoped this time, he would go along with her, now that that they were well and truly alone.

When she was ready, she stood in front of him. "Do you trust me?" she asked.

"Fully," he answered. She took his hands and removed his gloves one by one. "Ignis, I want you to see me." She placed his hands on the sides of her face. "All of me." She moved them down to her neck, her bare breasts.

He took a shaky breath and she kissed him, long and deep. HIs hands moved on her breasts and she kissed him again. Then she undid his shirt buttons as he kissed her back.

His hands had to leave her as she helped him shrug off his shirt. She replaced them when the shirt was free. She closed her eyes and let her hands feel his torso. He was so thin when dressed that one could be forgiven for thinking him of average build. But he was all muscle under that shirt.

She led his hands lower as she undid the button on his pants. She kept the pace slow and deliberate. She wouldn't rush him. "No armor this time in that head of yours?"

"None," he whispered, his voice low and gravelly.

She got up close to his ear. "Lose the boots," she whispered. He dutifully kicked them off. She smiled and unzipped his pants. She gave them a bit of a push and they slid down. He stepped out of them without too much trouble. She could see now that he was feeling this, too. She gave the underwear a tug, he stepped out of them, too.

She led him to the bedrolls and laid him down on his back. She removed his glasses and held herself just above his thighs. She closed her eyes again and used her hands to explore him more. He did likewise. He was, she was grateful to find, well-endowed.

She bent over and kissed him again. "Are you ready?" she whispered.

He nodded. She sat up, straddled him and let him inside her. She stayed there a moment just savoring the feeling. Then she began to move. Somewhere during the midst of it, they rolled over and he was on top.

"You can give it all to me, Ignis," she said, breathless. "All the frustration, the grief, the anger. I can take it." Their intensity quickened. She felt like she had never felt before. She couldn't have described it if someone had asked her. Her legs tightened on his waist. She pulled his head down to kiss him as she spasmed. He smiled and she wondered what that was about. Then he finished and she regrettably let him go. "What was that smile?" she asked.

He collapsed beside her and she snuggled close. "He said I'd know when you finished. To let you finish first."

She laughed. "Who said?"

"Cid," he replied. "I had questions."

"Well, he's a wise man then. Don't worry, you're a natural. You did far better your first time than I did mine."

"I just followed where you led. Truth be told, I had no idea what I was missing out on."

"Biggs was right," she said. "It's definitely … _more_ when there's love behind it. And I do love you, Ignis Scientia. _I_ had no idea what I was missing out on."

He put his arm around her and nuzzled her hair. "I'll tell you a secret I've never told anyone." She caressed his face and he continued. "I don't want the dawn to return. It's selfish but I don't want the cost. But I'm learning to accept it because I have no choice; Noctis will accept it. But also because I have you. You will be with me on the other side of it?"

"Oh Ignis," she said, "we're going to grow old together you and I. And I'll still think you're the most handsome man in the world when your hair goes gray and you get all wrinkly."

"Ah," he returned, "but you'll always be young and beautiful in my eyes."

She chuckled. "You'll feel the wrinkles eventually."

He smiled back. He really had a lovely smile. Then he yawned. "Can we do this every time I leave to go hunting?"

Aranea laughed and he laughed with her. She realized she'd never heard him laugh before. "We can try, my dear Iggy. We can try."

* * *

Author's Second Note: And that is why I changed the rating on this story to M. Don't expect smut from me, though. That is as close as you're going to get, and very likely the only such scene I'll actually write. It can all be implied from here on out. I did tell you I was a prude. I tried to keep this rather tame. And Hollywood. Hollywood makes this all look far easier than it really is. To quote one of my favorite history professor's mantra: "It's more complicated than that." But all that complication wouldn't have made for good reading. I hoped what I did write sufficed.


	24. A New Day

**Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **A New Day**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

When Ignis woke, he could feel Aranea beside him. It was a strange thing, waking. He used to enjoy it, but now opening his eye was no different than keeping it closed. However, it was because of his blindness that he knew he was awake. He dreamed in full color.

Ignis sat up, trying not to disturb Aranea. He was able to remember where some of his clothes had landed. He could cover his bottom half anyway. While ordinarily he didn't like to be so exposed, he knew there was no one but Aranea for miles around, and she had seen just about every inch of him last night.

He left the tent and used the glove she gave him to shift the wood in the fire pit. These havens were made by magic, and their fires were not natural fires. The wood never burned down and the fire lit easily. Ignis summoned one dagger and firebound it. He held it to the wood, and the light of it bloomed bright enough for him to detect. That accomplished, he let the dagger disappear.

He next moved to the hand-washing station and cleaned his hands thoroughly. It would be fish again for breakfast, but he thought he could dress it up well. He smelled each of the spices from Aranea's stash and decided on two of them.

"Now that is a sight that can cause any woman to melt: a gorgeous, half-naked man cooking."

Ignis smiled. "I'm not exactly certain where my shirt is."

"Well, then it's a good thing I'm still here," Aranea responded. "Though I don't think I can find your clothes until after breakfast."

Ignis plated the fish and sat down beside her. "Now, if only we had some Ebony to wash it down."

"I've never had a taste for coffee," Aranea admitted. "Hot, bitter liquid is just not my thing. Still, I can add it to the list for you."

That intrigued him. "The list?" he asked.

"Biggs, Wedge, and I have a wish list," she explained. "So we keep an eye out for what each of us wants and pass it along when we find it. So far, Biggs is the go-to guy. Niflheim had it hard these last ten years, but now that nearly everyone there has been turned into daemons, everything there is up for grabs. Every house and every store has something useful. He and his army have only just reached Gralea, nearly four years after the fall of the Empire."

Gralea. That gave Ignis an idea. Well, two. "The Crystal is in Zegnautus Keep," he said. "There was no way for us to transport it."

"We'll make that a priority item on the list," she replied right away. "Anything else?"

"The Regalia," he told her. "she should be just inside the outer gates, near a fallen train."

"I realize you guys were very fond of that car, but you can't exactly drive anymore."

"It's not for me," he said. "I doubt she could be made to run again, but Cindy can accomplish wonders when it comes to cars. No, I'm more thinking of certain elements within her. Her headlights can keep daemons at bay. If they can be reverse engineered. . . ." He let that thought hang.

"Consider it listed," she said. They finished breakfast and Aranea kept her word. She brought out his shirt, jacket, gloves, glasses, and cane. They packed up together and the MTs carried everything back to her airship.

Aranea wrapped her arms around him from behind. 'Are you ready to return to Lestallum?'

"I am,"" Ignis replied.

"Then hop aboard. I can give you a ride."

"Oh, I won't be flying," he told her. "I intend to go back the way I came. You're welcome to join me."

"It's not that I don't like killing daemons," she argued. "It's just really hard on the feet when you consider I have an airship that could cover the distance in a fraction of the time."

"I need real-world experience," Ignis argued back. "If I'm to be at Noctis's side, I need to know that I am ready for anything."

Aranea reluctantly agreed and sent her airship on ahead to Lestallum. "This could actually work well," Ignis told her as they set out. "I need to learn the different kinds of daemons again. I knew them by sight before. I'll guess and you can tell me if I'm right."

"I could just tell you what we're facing," she offered.

"Then I wouldn't be forced to concentrate on their aural and olfactory differences." She just chuckled at that.

But the system worked. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio had not identified the enemies they'd encountered after his blindness, so he could expect they wouldn't in the future either. With spiracorn, he could hear the hooves striking the ground and the snorts and chuffs they made. They smelled alive, unlike daemons, and somewhat like the plants they fed on. Havocfang, on the other hand, were bonier and heavirt than their sabertusk cousins. Ignis could hear their long hair moving in the wind. They also growled a lot and had a very distinct howl that he occasionally heard at camp in the past. They smelled fouler than the spiracorn, given that they were carnivores.

As for the daemons they encountered, giants were quite common. Ignis could not find a difference between red giants, iron giants, or any other similar varieties, except that red giants took longer to defeat and their swords glowed bright enough for him to detect at close range. Ice bombs and other such glowing orbs were also somewhat visible when they were near. He found it difficult to differentiate their varieties as well. So he decided to concentrate on daemon types more than specifics. Impish daemons often accompanied the giants when they appeared. The giants had little scent but the imps were quite foul. Ignis found it more difficult to defend against them as they were highly mobile, ran in packs, and had erratic movements. They were small and light so they were quieter than the larger giants.

Before being forced back on the road, he and Aranea were beset by a pack of sabertusks. They were quiet and fast, making Ignis concentrate hard to block or dodge them. He found it hard to hit them directly, but if he could anticipate their attack, he found he could launch his lance at them with some success. Aranea killed the majority of them. Then they were on the road and back to daemons. Both were very tried by the time they reached the gate to Lestallum.

Ignis waited for the heavy gate to rise high enough then ducked under. He got the sense quickly that there were several people waiting just inside. And that one of them was Cor, though he wasn't exactly sure what had tipped him off. "Good evening, Marshal," he said after the gate had closed behind them. "Am I to understand the walls didn't fall down in my absence?"

"How did you—never mind," Cor said. "Glad you're back safely." He sighed and Ignis braced for a dressing down. "What worked, what didn't, and what do we need to improve?"


	25. Bittersweet Aniversary

Author's Note: I wrote another short story, a bit longer than Revelations. It's a companion to Momentis, as is Revelations. It's a prequel to Revelations and is concerned with Prompto and Gladio's experiences after Ignis was injured in Altissia. It's called Waiting and Worry.

 **Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **Bittersweet Aniversary**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Ignis handed out the last award to one of Sania Yaeger's students. She told Ignis the young man was a verified genius. He was going to devote his time to looking for a cure for those infected by daemons. Sania caught him before he could leave. "You know that friend of yours never found my rainbow frogs."

"I remember that you never told my friend, King Noctis," he told her, "where to find them beyond 'the water.' He had more pressing things to do."

"Well, maybe you could pick up where he left off," she tried.

She started to continue, but Ignis held up a hand. "Look me in the eye, Professor." He took off his glasses. "I have only one and it doesn't work. You'll need to try to rope some other hunter into finding your frogs." He replaced his glasses. "Or find another avenue of study."

Bina saved him from further arguments, saying he had another engagement, when, in fact, he was done for the day. Ignis thanked her and let her lead him back to the golf cart where Sindra was waiting to drive him back home. Gladio and Prompto were both in town for Gratitude Day, and Ignis was looking forward to catching up with both of them. Even it was over a cold, bagged dinner. He was more surprised to find that Aranea had jointed them for the meal.

"There's the man I wanted to see," she said as he approached. She waited for him to be seated. "I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"

Iris spoke up. "It's Gratitude Day. Get the bad out of the way and end on a good note."

"A sound plan," Ignis agreed.

"It's taken Biggs this long to scout all of Zegnautus Keep. The Crystal is gone."

That was bad news, very bad news. "Ardyn," Ignis said. "He must have moved it." He sighed. "And the Regalia?"

"Wedge has it," Aranea replied. "It's on its way here."

"It's a wreck," Gladio said. "Why do we want it?"

"Dude," Prompto argued, "it's the Regalia!"

"I want the headlights, actually," Ignis explained. "If we can replicate them—"

"We'd make travel safer for everyone," Prompto finished.

"Boys," Aranea said. "That wasn't my good news."

"My apologies," Ignis told her. "I side-tracked us."

"Yes," she agreed, "well, I have something for you." She slid something across the table to him.

Ignis lifted it. It was thin and flat. He unwrapped it and was disappointed, at first, to find a book. But then his fingers felt a texture on the spine. Little bumps and raised letters. Ignis removed the glove from his right hand. He felt the front cover. Here the raised letters were smaller but he could make out BRAILLE. Below those letters were patterns of bumps arranged in rectangles. He flipped to the first page with more bumps. It had raised letters as well as bumps. 'A is for apple.' Ignis felt the corresponding bumps and noted the arrangement that made up the letter 'A.' He flipped the page. No raised letters there.

"Ah, it's a mystery," he said.

"Huh?" Prompto grunted.

"Well," Ignis explained, "you know I'm going to go page to page just learning the alphabet. Then I'll be able to go back and find out what the other twenty-five letters stand for."

"The suspense is killing me," Gladio commented.

"Thank you, Aranea," Ignis said. "This opens up a whole new world for me."

"Wedge found a whole room full of Braille books. I've dropped off the rest with that library of yours."

"Okay," Iris said, changing the subject. "Who's got a date for the dance?"

"I do," Aranea replied.

Ignis chuckled quietly. "I do, as well."

"I've got a date," Gladio offered.

"Anyone we know?" Prompto asked.

"I doubt it but it's a small world these days," Gladio replied.

"One of the new residents from Altissia asked me," Iris said. "I think a lot of the Lucians are too intimidated. Prompto, there are a lot of lovely ladies in town."

"I live in hope," Prompto held. "Someday Cindy will come. Maybe tonight. Where's Talcott, anyway?"

"Oh, he had a date," Iris replied. "If he's not here, it means he's having dinner with her after their dance. Our little boy is growing up."

They spent the next forty minutes catching up. Gladio had been assigned to clearing daemons from areas around Lestallum. Most recently, he'd been up in the Pallenrath Pass. He'd taken a few Arba as well, which helped to fill their sandwiches with a bit of meat this evening. Ignis was not surprised to hear that Prompto was staying close to Hammerhead. Cindy however was too involved keeping the trucks on the road to give him much attention. Iris and Aranea left to get ready and the three men kept talking a bit longer. Now that they were alone in the dining hall, they took the time to acknowledge that this year's Gratitude Day marked four years since Noctis entered the Crystal.

During the dance, Aranea had shared how she had cleared and Insomnian mall with Iris and Cor a few weeks ago. Iris had taken exceptional interest in a formal dress shop. As those dresses had little survival value, no one bothered to loot them until now. Iris had helped Aranea choose her dress after she'd picked out one of her own. All the rest were brought back to the Used Clothing shop in time for Remembrance Week. Ignis could feel the low back to her dress along with sequins and lace.

She walked him home and, this time, she stayed over. He got a full tour of her new dress before they removed it together.


	26. In a New Light

Author's Note: Still no job. No unemployment pay either, so, yeah, that's been great. I haven't been writing because of that, the game, and the Olympics. Sadly, I missed the last 2 games the men's Czech hockey team played, so I was not able to wear my Hasek jersey (National team from 1998 Nagano games where they won gold) that I'd worn for their other victories. Perhaps it would have helped. They did not get a medal. Still, Ester Ledecka became the only gold medalist in 2 different sports! How cool is that? I rooted for Americans, too, when appropriate. Anyway, the Games are over and the game is over. I finished it. I went back in time with Umbra and have done just about everything I can do. I killed the Adamantoise. I finished all the Vyv quests, all but one of the Sania quests (Really, if she's not going to tell me where to look, I'm not going to bother), all the Dave and Naveth quests. I caught the Noble Arapaima, I defeated all the Menace Beneath dungeons, and got all the Legendary weapons. Noctis is now level 100. The guys are 99. I don't think there's anything left to accomplish. So, I'm back to writing. Oh, job front: Had a video interview, a phone interview that led to an in-person interview, and have 2 phone interviews scheduled, one for tomorrow and one for next week. So possibilities.

 **Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **In a New Light**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Ignis got out of the truck with the others when daemons kept it from advancing. No one tried to stop him. Whether that had anything to do with his status or reputation, he couldn't tell. It could just as well have been Gladio's hulking presence. If he was okay with the blind man fighting, who were they to argue?

It was harder keeping track of all the other fighters and multiple daemons, but he and Cor had been working on just such scenarios for a while. Cor had actually been using Ignis in his continuing training for other fighters. Having new training partners, and several of them at once, certainly kept Ignis on his toes.

"That's new," Gladio said as they finished off a trio of spider-like daemons.

"Ah! A present from Cid and Aranea," Ignis told him, "for my birthday. She had the idea and he fabricated the parts." Ignis clipped his cane to his belt to show Gladio how it worked. "Allows me to have both hands free in a fight."

"Clever," Gladio commented.

"And quite practical," Ignis added, unclipping it again as they walked back and climbed into the back of the truck. The truck trundled forward again and they used the drive time to catch up.

"That reminds me," Gladio said as they settled in for the ride. "Did you ever figure out what B stood for?"

"Basilisk," Ignis replied. "I've actually read ten books by now, not including the children's books. I'm cataloguing them for the library."

"Cool. You haven't been out this far, have you?"

"I can't exactly walk to Hammerhead in a reasonable amount of time, no," Ignis admitted. "But Miss Cindy requested my presence this time. Besides, it's nice to be fighting alongside you again."

"I used to worry about you going out alone," Gladio told him. "I'm not worried anymore. You've come a long way since Cartanica."

Ignis huffed a bit. "Cor's training is paying good dividends," Ignis said. "Sometimes he has my training partners take off their shoes. Thinks maybe I won't hear them."

Gladio laughed. "He should know better by now."

"Indeed." Ignis thought he heard a groan from one of the other fighters. Perhaps they had trained together recently.

"Your birthday's coming up," Ignis said, changing the subject. "Any plans?"

"It's early yet," Gladio answered. "But it'll probably be more of the same. Might have dinner with my lady." "Are you not going to even give us a clue as to her identity?"

"She was at the dance, Iggy."

"I didn't see there, Gladio," Ignis reminded him. "And you didn't introduce her."

"Prompto saw her."

"He didn't recognize her," Ignis countered. "What is the point of this secrecy anyway?"

"Just how close are you and Aranea exactly?"

"Point taken," Ignis gave in, chuckling. He hadn't shared details of his relationship either. The truck turned and the darkness shifted.

"We're here," Gladio said. The truck turned again and stopped. Ignis could hear a gate closing behind them.

"Ya'll made in one piece," Cindy said in greeting. "Ignis, I don't think I've laid eyes on you since the world went dark. That don't hurt, does it?"

Ignis took no insult from the question. His face could be jarring to old acquaintances who hadn't seen him since before Altissia. "Did then, doesn't now," Ignis told her. "Though I can't lay eyes on you anymore."

"That's a right shame," she said. "Still, I hear your doing a bang up job in Lestallum anyway. Prompto tells me all about it. Not sure how he knows as he's here more than there these days."

They started walking. "Where is Prompto, anyway?" Ignis asked. "I thought he'd be meeting us here."

"Oh, he's with the Regalia. The old girl's looking mighty shabby but he wanted to see her anyway. I do hope to get her back to rights again but parts are scarce nowadays."

"That they are," Ignis agreed. He heard running footsteps coming toward them.

"You made it!" Prompto exclaimed when he reached them. "Good to see you again, Iggy. Hey, Gladio."

"How's the old girl?" Gladio asked.

"You weren't kidding when you said she was wrecked," Prompto replied somberly.

"No, but she saved us when we needed her," Ignis said. "And I hope she'll now save a good many more people."

"Right you are," Cindy said. "Always were sharp as a tack. That engineer you sent, Marla, is pretty sharp, too. She finally cracked it. We got one set up by the fence over here."

They walked a bit further and stopped. "Whoa!" Prompto said. "The daemons are going around the light from it, twenty feet out."

"They won't cross it," Cindy said. "We move it, they move. We put one on a motorbike Dave manage to scrounge up. He got all the way to Galdin Quay without stopping. Found a guy still holding out there. Can you believe it? Said he was a jeweler. Dave brought him back with him."

"Dino is here?" Gladio asked. "Wow, all this time and he's survived out here!"

"That is good news." Vyv could probably put Dino back to work as a reporter. Jeweler just wasn't the top need right now.

"Hey, makes me wonder if Wiz is still out there, too," Prompto said. "Maybe with some of his chocobos?"

"We shall have to mount an expedition," Ignis said, 'once we have these lights on a good sized truck, just in case."

"Sweet! I volunteer."

"This is all rather wonderful," Ignis exclaimed. "Now we need to make more."

"You help us with the parts and Marla and I'll make 'em up right here,' Cindy offered. "Install 'em, too, of course."

"Have you got the space for a small factory?" Ignis asked. "We have thirty-seven working vehicles, so we need seventy-four headlights."

"Seventy-six," Prompto corrected. "The Regalia?"

"I did say 'working vehicles'," Ignis countered. "She may yet work again, but I fear it will be a rather long time till then. I think it would be better if we made the lights in our factories in Lestallum. We can mass produce them. We'll take Marla back with us. She can get it started. We'll ship the finished product back to you and then send vehicles for upgrade."

"Alright, then," Cindy said. "It's settled. By the time King Noctis returns, we'll have safe roads to travel on."

"That we will," Ignis agreed.

P.S. I did write another story awhile back. Waiting and Worry takes place when Ignis is unconscious after the Episode Ignis. This is from Prompto and Gladio's POV. It's a Prequel to Revelations and a companion to this story.


	27. Setting Things In Motion

Author's Note: Phone interview went well. In-person meet and greet tomorrow afternoon.

 **Moments  
Part III: Beyond the Walls**

 **Setting Things in Motion**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Three trucks ferried the two families and four individuals who had volunteered to man the new outpost. A fourth carried ignis and several others from Administration. Kender, who had once been an intern at Administration had volunteered to be the liaison between Old Lestallum Outpost and Lestallum proper. Each truck had a couple hunters, of course, for security. The convoy went in fits and starts as the daemons popped up along the way.

Ignis gave a short speech under the brightest of the lights that kept the daemons away from the settlement. There was modest applause as there was a modest crowd. Vyv Dorden was there to take a photo for the paper. Then the new residents moved in. Some had worked here back in the days of light. Jessica was on hand to give Ignis a tour. Construction had repaired and secured the existing structures then added a few more. There was a proper weapons station now and a bunkhouse. Hunters would rotate here as they did with the two outposts at the old Burbast Souvenir Emporium and Meldacio Hunter HQ. Of course, all were fenced areas now lit all day and night.

The ride back had fewer hunters to fight the daemons, so Ignis hopped out with them and joined in. They made it back to Lestallum just in time for dinner. Bina, however, had waited to meet him at the gate. "I thought you'd like to know," she said. "Our first lot of twenty headlights are on their way to Hammer Head."

"That is good news, Bina," Ignis exclaimed. He could now imagine several new outposts and more resources as they could go farther faster once the vehicles were equipped with the lights.

"I have a date for dinner," she told him. "I have a feeling he's going to ask me a question. See you in the morning?"

Ignis smiled. "Absolutely. Give Dr. Pyn my best."

She kissed him on the cheek then ran off. Ignis went right to the dining hall only to find that once again, most of his friends were elsewhere. Cid had already eaten and left. That left Talcott for company. He was, however, deep in a book as he ate. Ignis could hear the pages flip every so often. This was a common occurrence since the library opened. But Ignis was getting bored. "What are your reading, Talcott?"

"Oh, sorry, sir," Talcott replied. "It's a treatise on the tombs of the kings and queens of Lucis. If I've got this right, they have libraries in them."

"Libraries?" Ignis was perplexed. He'd seen twelve such tombs. "I've seen quite a few, and none had libraries. There was just one door, one room, and one sarcophagus there in the middle. There were statues around the walls. I saw no books."

"That's what's confusing, sir," Talcott agreed. "But it seems to say there are chambers underneath the sarcophagus."

Ignis pictured one of the tombs in his mind. They all looked rather similar. He saw the statues around, the sarcophagus there in the middle. "I don't recall any trapdoors or stairways. I saw no mechanisms to trigger such. Still, it does make me want to take another look. So to speak."

"There's one near here, isn't there?" Talcott asked. "Behind the waterfall?"

"Yes, past daemon-infested caves, but yes," Ignis answered. He got a sense where this was leading.

"Maybe we could go tomorrow—"

"You," Ignis interrupted, holding up a hand, "have school tomorrow. And did you not hear 'daemon-infested caves' when I said it? It's not safe for either of us. I'd get lost and you'd get killed."

"I've been training with Mr.—Gladiolus," Talcott tried arguing.

"As have all the students," Ignis countered. "And that is, as yet, rudimentary self-defense training. Only a seasoned hunter would be adequate to accompany me to that, or any other tomb. You're not even fifteen yet."

"Two months," Talcott sulked.

"Fifteen isn't old enough," Ignis held. "Finish your studies, Talcott." Ignis put a hand on the young man's arm. "Keep reading and sharing what you find. I would love to be delving into those old books right now. There are a lot of tombs. Many will be still be there when you're older, if you still want to go then."

He could tell Talcott wasn't happy with that, but the young man gave in. "Yes, sir."

Ignis waited until he was back in his room at the hotel before calling Aranea. "How would you like to trek through daemon-infested ice caves to see if there are hidden chambers beneath a royal tomb, my dear?"

"Oh so romantic," she replied. "Which tomb and when are you thinking?"

"I'm free Sunday and there's one behind the waterfall just west of here."

"Call it a date then," she said. "There a haven in these daemon-infested ice caves?"

Ignis chuckled. "Not this one, I'm afraid."

Bina was practically bouncing in the morning. She'd said yes. Ignis gave her the day off, then called Dr. Marin to ask her to give Dr. Pyn the same. They had plans to make. Two days later, on Saturday, the first truck with new headlights pulled in to Lestallum. There was much whooping at the gate. The driver reported that no daemons stopped her on the way. They'd stayed on the sides of the road. Cor agreed to the expedition to the chocobo farm and Prompto gleefully volunteered to go along. "Call me and let me know," Ignis told him. "We'll have to prepare space for the birds, if they are any left."

"Will do, Specs," Prompto agreed. "Here's hopin'! You think he'd still have that little black chick we saved?"

"If he does, she's not a chick anymore, Prompto. It's been years."

"Right, well, see ya in a few days."


	28. Hidden Passages

Author's Note: Well, I found one more thing I wanted to play in FFXV. Pitoss. Man, that was hard! You don't die in the dungeon. But you may want to after playing the same part over and over for 3 hours or more because you can't quite jump to very small platform way up there in the air. I eventually did finish it but man, it was rough and extremely frustrating. And I could only take Noctis in. I would so have rathered it was Ignis. I've also made a textual change to all chapters. I spent some time perusing the Items section of the Menu in FFXV. Did you know you can find "Ignis's Cane" there amongst the accessories? Apparently it was presented to him by the government of Accordo. I may have to work that into a story somewhere. So no more "walking stick." They've all been changed to "cane."

 **Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **Hidden Passages**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

The way to the waterfall was slightly more difficult than Ignis had imagined. The street, the stairs, and the path were easy enough, though there were several daemons, a large snake and several large crabs to fight or avoid along the way. Still, the way upward got rocky, and the rocks were rough and uneven, making footing less than sure. The cane helped, but Aranea helped more. She held his arm as they climbed and passed behind the roaring waterfall.

"Ah, spelunking with the one you love!" Aranea sighed as they stepped into the caverns and the chill slipped its way beneath their jackets. "Definitely ice caves. Are we going to get lost in here?"

"Well, I wasn't planning on it," Ignis assured her. "What worries me, however, are the icy slopes. They weren't a problem when I could see where I was going."

"We got flan," she said. "Weak." They had the flan defeated in less than a minute. Then they came to their first ice slide. "This what you mean by icy slopes?"

"The lesser of two," Ignis told her. He found himself feeling rather anxious as he pondered the idea of sliding helplessly downward with uneven rocks at the bottom he couldn't brace himself for.

Aranea wrapped her arm around his right arm and laced her fingers with his. "So we'll do this together. On three. One, two, three!"

They jumped and the sliding began. But he didn't feel it was uncontrollable. She could see where they were going, and even called out the landing. Or rather the enemies at the landing. "Imps. Five of them."

Ignis landed on his feet and she let go. He concentrated on the sounds and threw his lance at the closest. One down. Aranea killed another. One attacked him, but he blocked it and parried with his daggers. Aranea took another, and they both honed in on the last one. That done, they moved on, upward and to the right.

"If I remember correctly, we should be at the longer slide," he told her. "It has a large drop at the end."

She entwined their arms again and counted down. On three, they jumped. Ignis could actually enjoy the first part of the slide. The drop after the latter half felt quite a bit deeper in the dark. They were airborne but she called out the landing before he hit the ground. He was able to roll out of it, ready to face any enemy. "Ariadne," she called out. "Just the one." Nothing they hadn't faced together before.

"There should be a ledge," Ignis told her.

"On the right," she confirmed. "I'll go first."

Ignis followed her and found his footing. He hooked his cane and kept his hands on the wall at this back. He listened for Aranea as she moved along the ledge beside him. "We're about halfway," he said. "We still have to work our way around to it. Should be a fire source to the right."

"Yep," she said. "I see it."

"Around it to the left," Ignis guided. "We'll pass the other elements as well."

More flan appeared in their path. The daemons were no match for either of them alone. Together, it was hardly a context. Next were more imps.

"I see a lightning source," Aranea said.

"The path should go up and around it," he told her.

They did that then she suggested he deal with the flan while she took down the ronin blocking their path. He agreed. Ronin were not very noisy. Still, when the flan were done, he threw a dagger or two, but only when Aranea was far enough not to be inadvertently hit.

"Do you see an ice resource?" Ignis asked her a bit later.

"Yes," she affirmed, "narrow band of rock beside it."

"That's our path. We should find another ledge off to the right."

They passed the ice resource and kept moving. They were close now.

"You have a very impressive memory, Mr. Scientia," Aranea said. "Quite the ledge. Looks like it wraps around."

"My memory always served me well," Ignis said as they hugged the wall to their backs. "I've been especially grateful for it after losing my sight." They turned a corner, still sliding along the ledge. "There were a good many enemies just outside the tomb," he reported. "Imps, several mindflayers, and I do believe I saw a ronin, too. I can take the mindflayers. They're weak to lightning."

"That's the one where you zip around from enemy to enemy?"

"Only if there are multiples," Ignis replied.

"Okay, then, imps first," Aranea suggested. "Get them out of the way. I'll take the ronin if he shows up."

"A sound plan," Ignis agreed. The daemons didn't disappoint. Stormbound daggers had an advantage. The lightning took him to the enemy. He didn't need to see them. The whole group took a bit longer to dispatch than last time, but there were half as many comrades them now. The door to the tomb was still open. Just as the four of them had left it. "Noctis claimed the Swords of the Wanderer from this tomb," Ignis told her.

"And sent them off to that magical place you pull your daggers and lance from," Aranea added. "I really hate to bring this up, but what happens to those after?"

Ignis sighed. It was something he had contemplated. He retrieved one dagger from the Armiger. "The magic is from Noctis. As the Kingsglaives magic came from Regis, and left them after his death, I expect I'll lose access to the magic, too. Perhaps if I'm holding one or the other, those might remain."

"Either way, we should probably try to find some weapons for the three of you that won't disappear," Aranea said. Ignis heard her running a hand over the sarcophagus.

Ignis let the dagger disappear. "For now, I enjoy the convenience of not having to carry them."

"What are we looking for exactly?"

"Hard to say," he answered. "I don't recall anything obvious. The tomb is simply one room, half a circle. Sarcophagus in the center, statues surrounding and only one door. There's no outward appearance of anything hidden. But Talcott found a reference to libraries in the royal tombs. The twelve I saw looked like this one. No books. No library."

"Well, then, I think," she said, letting her voice go sultry, "we're going to have to get handsy."

"Madam, this is a _Royal_ tomb," Ignis chided, though he smiled as he said it.

"Ah well, too cold for that anyway," she said, mock chagrined. "How about I start with the door and work my way clockwise. You can start with the sarcophagus and work back the other way. We'll meet somewhere in the middle by that long statue."

"Works for me," Ignis agreed. He felt for the sarcophagus, and, finding it, clipped his cane to his belt. He didn't need it on this smooth floor anyway. He used both hands to feel the boxes on either end of the king's statue, as well as the statue itself. All were quite solid. Nothing moved. He knelt and began to feel around the base. As he did, he tried to recall the floor. Were there any indications of a doorway? He remembered the sarcophagus sat in the center or a many pointed star but little else. He never looked at the floor with the intention of memorizing it. Given, memorization came naturally to him. But really, who looks at a floor? He moved to the other side of the sarcophagus.

"Nothing at the door," Aranea called out. "Moving to the wall now."

"Nothing here either," Ignis reported. He walked toward the doorway and felt the wall to its left, moving counterclockwise. He felt the larger granite blocks that made up the doorframe, then the smaller blocks of the higher portions of the walls. Further down was a horizontal decoration, black and gold by his recollection. Next was smooth stone interspersed with stone marked in diagonal lines in both directions. An identical horizontal bar made up the baseboards.

"Four statues," Aranea said. "Look identical. Still think we should check each one?"

"It might make for a clever hiding place," Ignis suggested. "A thief might think that if he checks one and it comes up clear, the other seven don't need checking."

"Good point," she agreed. "Time-consuming, but a good point."

Ignis met the join of the flat wall with the curved one and his first of four statues thereafter. The swords and shields they held were solid. He felt behind them as well as the decorations under and beside them.

"Once we feel what we can reach," Aranea said, sultry again, "you may have to lift me to check the higher places."

"It may come to that, my dear," Ignis told her, "though it would be somewhat impractical to hide a mechanism so high."

They investigated further, in light batter mostly, until Aranea gasped. Ignis heard something move. He froze. "Center statue," Aranea reported. "I just parted her hands."

Ignis heard stones sliding in the center of the room. He felt a vibration though the floor. "What's happening?"

She came to his side and touched his arm. "The sarcophagus just turned a one eighty. Half the floor turned with it. There's a star under it, but it's missing some points. That empty spot just opened up to show a stairway leading down. I think this is it, Specs."

Ignis checked his mental image. The points of the star were unevenly spaced, especially at the head of the sarcophagus. "Well, then, lead on."

She took his hand and led him down a steep, spiraling staircase. After twenty steps, it opened into a room. Aranea described it as having portraits of the king and an accounting of his great deeds. No library. The central portrait was life-sized.

Ignis thought he smelled something. "Show me the main portrait." She took him to it and he felt for the sides of the frame. He took off his glove and felt again.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I feel air," he told her. "I smell books." He gripped the opposite side of the frame and pulled it forward. With a click, it opened like a door.


	29. The First Sign

Author's Note: For those of you interested: The cane was listed in the Treasures as "Ignis's Cane," with that punctuation. The description was "A cane provided by the government of Accordo for the blind Ignis. It is decorated with the most elaborate carvings."

 **Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **The First Sign**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

They spent three hours in the library. Aranea read out titles and Ignis chose a few to take back to Lestallum for reading. "We confirmed the existence of the libraries," he told her. "That was the purpose of this expedition. There will have to be another to collect the books."

"I could use some of my MTs, you know," Aranea offered.

"These are very old books," Ignis said. "I'm not certain your MTs would exercise the proper amount of care."

They left the library and closed the portrait. Then they climbed the stairs. Ignis went to the statue and folder her hands in again. The stones slid against each other, so he knew the opening was closing and the sarcophagus was turning.

"How do we get back up those ice slides?" Aranea asked as they exited the tomb.

"There's an alternate path," he told her. "It exits above the main entrance to the caves. We couldn't reach it from the other side."

"Sounds good. Which way?"

The way back was shorter, so there were fewer daemons to fight, mainly flan and imps. Easy enough for Aranea to fight as he kept the books safe. She guided him on the rocks again as the books hampered his ability to use his cane. Given the presence of the books, Ignis agreed to return to Lestallum via airship. No daemons to fight in the sky. They returned just in time for dinner.

"Do you want to drop those off at the library first?" Aranea asked.

"It's likely closed at this hour," Ignis replied. "Besides, I think there's someone at dinner who would very much want to read these books."

He let her lead him through the crowds to their usual table. He carefully placed the books in front of him on the table and sat down behind them. Aranea went for the food.

"You found it!" Talcott exclaimed.

"That we did," Ignis confirmed.

"Old books?" Gladio said. "You can't read. How'd you find anything in there?"

"You've got it wrong," Ignis countered. "We found these—and more—in _it_. There are libraries beneath the Royal tombs."

"Libraries?" he asked. "How? I didn't see any stairs or even other doors."

"I shan't disclose the secrets of the tombs at dinner, Gladio, but trust me, the libraries are there." He slid the books toward Talcott, and Aranea placed his dinner in front of him.

"Bit of a trick to get to them, though," Aranea said, sitting down. "Kind of a fun way to spend an afternoon." Ignis felt a light kick to the side of his ankle. Aranea was sitting on that side. He wasn't sure what that was for, but figured it was not something to ask about in front of the others.

"How many books were there?" Talcott asked.

"Hundreds," Aranea replied.

"We'll have to work out the logistics to getting them all out," Ignis added. "We may have to draw them out little by little. Or simply do the research inside them."

"It will take me at least a month to read these three," Talcott said. "Thank you, sir, ma'am."

"I only wish I could read them myself," Ignis commented. "Perhaps we can meet regularly after dinner, and you can share what you've learned."

"That would be great, sir!"

"Wonderful," Ignis said. "We'll get started tomorrow. But remember, your schooling comes first."

"Yes, sir."

Aranea filled in Gladio and Talcott about the antechamber and library. She also did not give away the secret mechanism that kept the libraries hidden. A crowded dining hall just wasn't the place. Gladio caught them up on his latest doings, and Ignis got him up to date on the goings on in Lestallum. He told him that Prompto was on his way to Wiz's chocobo farm to see if anyone had survived.

As Aranea walked him home, Ignis asked why she had kicked him.

"Gladio," she replied. "She's changed his hair."


	30. Late Night Call

Author's Note: Had a phone interview today. Two jobs interviewed for besides that and no word yet. Still hope for one, not sure on the other. Been watching a lot of Episode Ignis reactions on YouTube. Got me back in the mood. Another short one this time.

 **Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **Late Night Call**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

The call came at eleven o'clock. Ignis had just started to dream. The sunrise was brilliant, resplendent with color. The others were still asleep in the tent, missing it. Aranea joined him though. He felt her arms wrap around his torso from behind. She laid her head against his back. "You should answer that," she said. And with that, the darkness returned.

Ignis answered the phone, "Prompto?"

"How'd you know?"

"The phone talks to me, remember?" Ignis reminded him. "Besides I'd asked you to call."

"Yeah, sorry if I woke you, Igster." He didn't sound all that sorry. He sounded excited. Ignis expected good news. "They're here! Not as many, but Wiz and his staff and six chocobos! Well, two are chicks. They are so cute!"

"That's wonderful news, Prompto!" Ignis commented, sitting up. He made a mental note to talk to Agriculture and Housing in the morning. Wiz had had a small staff. Housing shouldn't be too hard. "And the black chick?"

"She's here! All grown up like you said she'd be," the younger man answered. "Situation's dicey here, though. It's amazing they held out. Wiz and his folks are packing some seeds. I told them we had farmland and greenhouses and such. We're going to head out tonight. It's safer now on the roads than it is staying put."

Ignis felt a pang of pride at that. His idea for requesting the Regalia's headlights; Biggs, Wedge, and Aranea for bringing the Regalia back to Lucis, Marla's ingenuity in reverse engineering them, Manufacturing's ability in making them in numbers, and Cindy's prowess in installing them. The roads, so treacherous before, were now safer than anywhere that wasn't a haven, an outpost, or Lestallum. "You should stop off at Hammer Head," Ignis suggested. "You can rest and refuel for the trip back here."

"Good plan," Prompto said. "I'm so excited! Chocobos, man! We had a lot of fun on chocobos."

"That we did," Ignis agreed. But it made him feel wistful, too. Noctis had been with them on those chocobos, and he'd be so happy to know that some were saved. How would he know though? Certainly, he wouldn't stick around for a tour when he came back. He'd want to finish what he started. "Are you still taking pictures, Prompto?"

"Are you still cooking? Is Gladio still bashing heads? Would Noct be fishing?"

Ignis smiled, then felt sad. "Take lots of photos, Prompto. So that Noctis can see how we've lived, how he would have lived had he been with us."

"I can do that," Prompto said quietly. "But you can't look at them with us."

A tear slipped from Ignis's empty socket. "I get to live it, taste it, smell it, hear it, feel it. Noctis will only get to do the one thing I can't."

"I wish we could make 3D pictures," Promto said. "I wish you could see all the good you've done. Out here, people die or get turned into daemons. Wiz's survival was a miracle. It's so precarious. But in Lestallum, there's a sense of normalcy. We're not just alive, we're living. That's on you, Iggy."

"No, it's on everyone working together—"

But Prompto cut him off. "But you are leading us to do that. You don't give yourself enough credit."

Ignis wiped away another tear. "Thank you, Prompto."

"Good night, Iggy."

"Be safe." Was it true, though? That he didn't give himself enough credit? He knew he was doing his best. He really was. But he'd spent his life preparing to support Noctis as king. He'd been misled, to be sure. But he didn't regret it. He would gladly have stayed behind the throne, to allow Noctis all the glory. And now, all that preparation was helping him to help others in Noctis's stead. If Noctis were here now, Ignis would still let him take all the glory, even if he was the one doing all the work. So was it really that he didn't give himself enough credit? Or was it that he didn't want to outshine the king he'd been groomed to replace?

The words from the vision came back to him then. Noctis was going to do more than just die. No, Noctis was going to save the world, destroy the demons and the Accused, bring back the dawn, and purge the darkness from their star. How could Ignis possibly outshine that? No matter what the world would make of Ignis Scientia, he knew he'd never outshine Noctis Lucis Caelum. He'd make sure of it.


	31. Five Years Gone

**Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **Five Years Gone**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

This Gratitude Day was a hard one for Ignis, and he asked Prompto and Gladiolus if they could camp together the night before. He would clear it with Cor if it was a problem. They agreed and Ignis suggested the haven at the Vesperpool. It was far enough from Lestallum to get away and yet not too far from the city either. Few hunters travelled there so they could have the place to themselves. Prompto drove and they rode together in light small talk. Ignis could feel a tension between them underneath the easy comments about life in and around Lestallum.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather spend the day with Aranea?" Gladio asked, half teasing.

"I'll see her tomorrow," Ignis replied. "I have seen far less of the two of you."

"You haven't seen us at all," Gladio teased back.

Ignis frowned. "That was so funny I completely forgot to laugh."

"Oh my gosh!" Prompto exclaimed. "You actually made Ignis forget something! I didn't think that was possible!"

"You do know I outrank the Marshal," Ignis teased back.

GLadio punched him lightly in the shoulder. "I know you would never abuse your position."

"And we're here," Prompto pronounced, changing the subject. "Haven's to the left of us, just across the road."

"I remember," Ignis said. "You know what this means?" Prompto asked.

Gladio answered quickly. "We get to eat like royalty tonight."

"I was thinking dry toast," Ignis teased.

Prompto was quick to speak up. "I want to apologize for Gladio's previous teasing. It was really inappropriate to make fun of your blindness."

Gladio was not going to be outdone that easily. "And I apologize for Prompto's insensitivity. You can't help that fantastic memory of yours."

"Nor would I want to," Ignis said. He chuckled. "I'm sure I can whip up something more nutritious."

"Yes!" Prompto exclaimed.

"Do you suppose," Ignis asked, "that one of the three of us could catch a fish or two?" Neither of them replied. Ignis imagined they were both looking at each other and shrugging. "Well, I have caught one now and then. Though not without stabbing myself with a lure a few times."

"I'll set you up," Gladio offered.

"And I'll clean whatever you catch," added Prompto.

The three of them walked the short distance to the dock. Ignis could hear some daemons but they were rather distant. They were not molested and made it to the dock safely. "You know, they've got arapaima in here," Gladio suggested.

Ignis gave him his best side-eye behind his glasses. "I'm nowhere near the angler Noct was. We'll eat whatever I manage to catch."

Gladio spooled the reel and set a lure to the line. Then he handed the pole to Ignis. Ignis cast the line and slowly reeled it back. And something bit. He pulled back to set the hook. Then he focused on listening to the water and feeling the pole in his hands. He could feel the tension as the fish pulled one way and then the other, hear when it was struggling or when it jumped. He reeled when it was quiet and the tension had eased. It was not a big fish and Ignis reeled it in rather quickly.

Gladio pulled it up. "Glimmering bluegill. Not bad," he said. "You do that by sound?"

"More by feel," Ignis explained. "All its motion is carried through the line back to the pole and then to my hands. Shall we try another?"

"Never hurts to have more fish," Prompto replied. "I know Cid enjoys your seafood."

"Sadly, I don't think he has much else to look forward to," Ignis said as he cast the line again. This time he got nothing and reeled it all the way back to the dock.

Prompto spoke up, "I think I saw movement to the left. Mind if I aim you?"

"Not at all," Ignis replied. "Point the way."

Prompto took his shoulders and turned him in the right direction. "Straight ahead there."

Ignis cast and felt a bite as soon as he heard the lure drop into the water. He pulled back to set the hook. There was a lot of pull on the line.

"It's a big one, Iggy!" Gladio exclaimed.

"Not an arampaima, I hope," Ignis replied. Noctis had taken hours to land that one.

"I don't think so," Gladio replied. "Just reel carefully."

They were both quiet then and let Ignis focus. He gave it all his concentration. He took slow even breaths to stay calm and patient. He got fewer chances to reel between struggles, he felt. This fish was putting up a lot more fight than the bluegill. "Which line is it?" he asked.

"Dragon beard, brand new," Gladio told him. "Bluegill hardly weakened it. You got this." He put a hand on Ignis's shoulder for support. Ignis let the fish control the timing and speed. Little by little, he reeled it in. Left, reel, struggle, right, reel, struggle. Ignis just focused on the vibrations in his hands, the sounds of the fish in the water. It took longer than any other fish he'd ever caught. At least three times longer than the bluegill. But in the end, it came to the dock and Prompto pulled it up.

"Whoa!" the younger man exclaimed as he held it up. "It's a snakehead. Blue one and big! Nice job, Iggy!"

"I think" Ignis said, letting the pole disappear back into the armiger, "that's enough for one day." Then it hit him that those were Ardyn's words to him just after their fight.

"We could eat on this one for a week!" Prompto said, agreeing.

Gladio clapped Ignis on the back. "Noct would be proud of you for that one, Iggy."

Back at camp, ignis prepared the rest of the meal while Prompto cleaned the sapphire snakehead and Gladio set up the tent. Then Ignis fileted the fish. He cut each filet in half because they were so long. He floured and fried three and stored the rest with the bluegill to take back to Lestallum. Ignis used the smell and texture of the meet to test its doneness.

"Ignis," Gladio said, after taking a bite, "I think you're even better now than you were before."

Prompto seemed to say, "Hear hear," but it came out as a mumble as his mouth was full at the time. Gladio produced three beers he'd managed to find somewhere during his hunts. Ignis offered a toast to their missing friend. The tension they'd danced around in banter finally eased.

"It's been five years," Ignis said, "since he went into the Crystal."

"I miss him," Prompto admitted. "Did you get to see what it's like for him in there?"

"Only glimpses," Ignis replied. "He was kind of floating, hunched up with his head down and his arms around his knees. The voice said to 'enter into reflection' so I suppose he's just thinking."

"That's a long time to think," Gladio interjected. "So he knows what's to come?"

"I believe the voice was talking to him," Ignis told him, nodding. "I just got to eavesdrop ahead of time, so to speak."

"Do you think he thinks of us?" Prompto asked.

"I'm sure he does," Ignis said. And he really did believe it. "He probably thinks about his whole life up to now, and we're part of that." But it really was just a guess. "I think he'd be thinking about everyone he's cared about all these years."

Gladio raised his bottle for another toast. "To Noctis Lucis Caelum, our King. May he come back soon, but not too soon."

Ignis raised his bottle in support of that statement. "I want the world to be saved and dawn to return. I just want Noctis back more."

"Yeah," Prompto agreed. "As long as he's in the Crystal, he's alive. Once he's out and we see him.…"

They all left that thought hanging. Ignis finally broke the silence. "I used to get frustrated with him. He wouldn't read my reports from the council meetings to keep up on what was happening in the kingdom. He wouldn't eat his vegetables. King Regis never pushed him. He knew. He knew and he didn't tell me."

"Would you have changed everything if he had?" Gladio asked. "I know I would've. I might have gone easy on him. Not trained him as hard. Then he wouldn't be strong enough to do what he needed to do."

"I wasn't even in that loop," Prompto said quietly. "I've never even spoken to his dad in person."

"I think that's what he liked about you when you first became friends," Ignis told him. "You didn't treat him like a prince or make a big deal about who his father was. You were just his friend."

"I'm sorry if I got between you two," Prompto offered. "I know you were his friend first."

"We grew up together," Ignis explained. "Like brothers. All brothers grow somewhat apart, I think. They get their own friends. But they stay close in spite of that."

"You didn't have your own friends though," Gladio pointed out. "He had you and Prompto. You just had Noctis."

"I counted you as a friend," Ignis replied. "But really I was too busy for that. Had I less responsibilities.…"

"Like cleaning up the messes Noct and I made," Prompto added. "Sorry about that, too."

"You spoiled him even when you didn't know," Gladio concluded, chuckling.

"I suppose I did," Ignis agreed. He smiled a little. "I miss him, too."

They spent the rest of the evening telling Noctis stories and remembering better times until the wee hours of the morning. Then Ignis remembered he'd have awards to hand out during the festivities back in town. They retired to the tent and Prompto set an alarm. For a few hours, Ignis got to see. He dreamed about simpler times, running and playing with Noct as a child. The alarm came too soon. Ignis made breakfast and they drove back to Lestallum's lights and cheerful crowds.


	32. Black Chocobo

**Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **Black Chocobo**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Prompto found Ignis in his office the day after Gratitude Day. The chocobos had been a huge hit, especially with the kids. The food was better this year with salads to go with the sandwiches and even potato chips. There were also little cakes, each enough to share among four people. Iris had introduced them to her new beau, and they met Talcott's date to the high school dance. But now, Remembrance Week and Gratitude Day had given way to Monday, and there were reports to have read and decisions to make.

Prompto was not on the schedule. "Have you even been to see the chocobos?"

"I heard them when they first arrived," Ignis replied. "The crowds were too much yesterday. They were very popular."

"Come out with me now then," Prompto insisted. "No crowds today. We can visit that black one we rescued."

"They _are_ cute," Bina commented from the doorway. "I didn't know you rescued the black one."

"Back when she was an egg," Prompto told her. "Saw her again just after she hatched. She was an adorable baby."

"I'll hold the fort, Ignis. Go have some fun."

Ignis shrugged and stood. "Well, if you're going to gang up on me. But we'll take the golf cart. It's faster than walking."

"Deal," Prompto said.

They talked lightly as they rode in the back of the cart. "Iris is helping with a photo album," Prompto told him. "I take the photos, she organizes them."

"Wonderful," Ignis commented. It would be easier for Noctis to view them that way. "You went stag to the dance again this year, Prompto. People are starting to talk."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Prompto sighed. "She's going to come one of these years. You know she tinkers on the Regalia now and then. Doesn't know where she'll get the replacement parts, though."

"Perhaps they still exist in Insomnia," Ignis suggested.

"It's getting hard and harder to get in there," Prompto told him. "Daemons everywhere. Big ones, too. Ardyn's also still got MTs. He's put out a great big 'Not Welcome' sign."

"As long as he stays there and leaves us alone," Ignis said. "He could still cause a lot of drama here, even if we keep the daemons out."

Their driver took a call and stopped. "I'm going to have to let you two out here," she said. "Medical emergency."

"Of course," Ignis said, complying. He and Prompto stepped out, and Prompto guided him the rest of the way. Ignis didn't mind. It was easier than making his own way, and he valued touch a lot more than he used to. Prompto's hand on his back helped to solidify him, make him more than a voice and another set of footsteps.

"Hi there," Wiz greeted as they neared. "Ignis right? I remember you from back when. You've got a good thing going here since."

"Thank you," Ignis replied. "We are trying to make the best of a bad situation. I'm glad we could offer you some sanctuary here."

"Any place without daemons is a palace nowadays," Wiz added. "You come to see the chocobos though, so come this way. Cora, that's the one ya'll rescued. She's a momma now. One of those chicks is hers."

"It's so cute, Ignis," Prompto said. "It's black but speckled with yellow. Never seen one like it before."

"That one's a little boy," Wiz said. "We call him JoJo. The other is Bess. She's a little drama queen."

As if to confirm, Ignis heard her squawk rather loudly for such a small bird. He chuckled. Then he felt something hard hit the side of his head. It was so fast, he hadn't had a chance to duck. He felt his glasses ripped from his face with force, the earpiece almost hitting him in the eye.

"Cora!" Wiz called. But Ignis could hear her running away. Wiz took off after her.

"You alright?" Prompto asked.

"I'm fine," Ignis told him. His face did sting a bit. Then he heard two things. One was a gasp, the other was a crack. The gasp was following by a low murmuring, and Ignis felt his face heat up. Wiz returned, walking this time. "I'm afraid she's broken them. I'm sorry."

Ignis just nodded. He'd known something was going to happen to make him change them. But he didn't have a spare pair. Those had been his spare pair. Prescription sunglasses. And he could only imagine what that murmurs were saying.

"It's okay," Prompto said, beside him. "I've got ya covered. Come back to the Hunter's barracks with me."

Ignis didn't want to walk all the way back through town like this. "I'll wait here," he said, keeping his head down.

"Take Ina," Wiz said. "She's fast."

"Right," Prompto replied. "I'll be right back."

Wiz walked Ignis to a spot in the corner where they could sit. "You wanna feed JoJo?"

Ignis nodded. "I'd like that."

Wiz handed him some greens and then brought the chick to him. "Cora, she likes shiny things. I'm real sorry about that." JoJo ate happily, chirping away.

"It will be fine," Ignis assured him. But his face still felt hot. "I suppose I must look rather shocking."

"The glasses hid the extent of it is all," Wiz admitted. "That must have hurt. Lost your sight, too?"

Ignis nodded.

"I lost most of my right hand," Wiz said. "And I'm right-handed. I took fingers for granted all those years before."

Ignis smiled lightly. "I know the feeling. Daemons?"

"Nah, havocfang."

"It's hard," Ignis admitted. "But I have to tell myself not to think about what I can't do. I have to think about what I can do and how I can do it."

Wiz chuckled. "I learned to write with my left. I have horrible penmanship."

"I learned to read Braille from a children's book," Ignis told him. "I hunt daemons, fish, cook. I just do those things differently now."

"You're a braver man than me," Wiz admitted. "I've seen enough daemons—and havocfangs—to last a lifetime. Even if it means I'll never leave these city walls again." Ignis looked up as he heard the sound of a chocobo running. "They're back," Wiz said. "Told you she was fast."

"I forgot how much fun that is!" Prompto exclaimed as he dismounted. Ignis stood to meet him. "I found these awhile back," the younger man said. "I knew you'd need some someday. I didn't give 'em to you because I didn't want to rush things, ya know?"

Ignis did know. It was irrational. but as each change that matched the vision happened, he felt closer to Noctis's death. Prompto placed the new glasses in his hand and he felt them. They were different. There was only one large lens with an indentation for his nose. It was a visor more than glasses. And Ignis knew this was what he saw in his vision.

"Are they?" Prompto asked.

Ignis nodded, putting the visor on. "It's fine. Thank you, Prompto." Ignis noticed he wasn't hearing any more murmurs. Ignis held out his left hand to Wiz who shook it with his. "It was good to meet you again."

"Likewise," Wiz said. "Come on back any time. Just don't get too close to Cora."

Prompto put his hand on Ignis's back as they turned back toward town. "I think I know why you changed your hair," Prompto said.

Ignis turned to him and waited for the rest of that statement.

"Your look is off now, with those. You need an update. You know, Dino's lady is a hair stylist. Well, in her spare time. Not a survival profession, you know."

"Morale building may need to be thing now," Ignis said, thinking aloud.

"Dino would like that," Prompto said. "He could work more on his jewelry than Vyv's paper."

"I'm not sure Vyv would like that," Ignis countered. "But I'll have someone look into its feasibility," They would need a shop, a place to work on jewelry and do hair. Perhaps others had morale building talents to offer as well. At least on a part-time basis.


	33. Digging Through History

**Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **Digging Through History**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

Ignis met with Talcott regularly, going through old books in the library and those brought back from the royal tomb. They held a lot of information about some of the latter kings of Lucis. Regis had been the hundred and thirteenth king. The books from the tomb covered the reigns of rulers from ninety-four to one hundred and two. The library had more recent books. While interesting, ignis heard no hint of Ardyn. Ardyn was not mortal. That had been proven. And from the others' descriptions of his rotted visage, he'd suffered greatly and over a long period from the starscourge. He could be older than even the creation of Lucis or far younger.

But he was also the Chancellor of Niflheim, which could mean that none of the books found in Lucis could offer any clues at all. Or only those in the last century and a half-the time the war had been fought. Prompto had told them that Ardyn had introduced the use of daemons and Magitek to Verstael Besithia. Prompto had been born one of the infant clones Besithia used for the first models of successful Magitek troopers. Besithia had tried for some years with adult subjects. So that put the introduction somewhere between twenty-five and thirty years. Ardyn would have had to have been an adult to be chancellor by then. So give or take another thirty years, he could be as young as sixty, or centuries older.

Try as he might, Ignis couldn't find any clue to really pin him down further than that. He made notes by punching holes with a needle though paper backed by a cork board. He 'wrote' from left to right, but upside down, so that when he turned the paper over, he could read the raised bumps that the needle had left on the other side. The first time he'd done this had quite impressed Talcott, but the teenager was quite used to it by now.

"I like learning about the old kings and queens," Talcott said. "And I can tell Iris her family had been Shields going back as far as the ninety-fourth king of Lucis."

"It's a fine tradition," Ignis stated. "Learning history does give a certain depth to the word we live in."

"Back then, what they had," Talcott mused, "was the best technology of the day. We may think it backward now, but to them, it was top-notch."

"Yes, and a hundred years from now," Ignis said, "others will look back on our best technology and find it quaint."

"I'm going to write some of what they'll read," Talcott stated. "I'll write about the years of darkness and the return of the kind, the defeat of the Accursed and the return of the sun. I'll be sure to include you, sir."

"I'll be of little consequence, I'm sure," Ignis replied. "A footnote in the years of darkness."

Talcott wasn't having it. "And chief advisor to King Noctis during his reign."

 _However short that will be,_ Ignis thought sadly. "I think this is a good enough place to stop for the evening, Talcott. Don't you have an exam tomorrow?"

Talcott sighed. "Yes, sir. Math. Not my strong suit."

"Do your best," Ignis urged him as he gathered his things. "I'm sure you'll succeed." They had begun meeting in the library some months ago. It was a decent walk back to his room at the hotel. "You'll lock up?"

"Yes, sir." Talcott had been entrusted with a key to the library's side door. He took that responsibility very seriously. "My class is getting to start learning to drive next month."

"Already?" Ignis asked as they made their way down the stairs. "You still look ten to me."

Talcott laughed. "I hope I sound closer to my age."

"I admit your voice is quite incongruous with my image of you. Maybe we can get Iris to describe you to me at breakfast."

"That should be interesting, sir." Talcott locked the door behind them and then took off running. "See you tomorrow!" He had an exam to study for so Ignis didn't fault him on that. Ignis knew his way back but used his cane to sweep for obstacles like loose bricks or debris in the way.

"That's a new look, Specs."

Aranea. Ignis smiled. "You didn't tell me you were back in town."

"Didn't want to disturb your date in the library," she teased as she took his arm. "Find anything interesting?"

"Interesting, yes. Pertinent, no."

"We could go tomorrow to get more books," Aranea offered.

"That could be fun," he told her. "If we wait until after exams, maybe we could take Talcott along."

"Hmmm." She thought about it for a moment. "It's not terribly dangerous. We know the way and the secret to get to the library. Kid could get a taste of what's really out there. It could work. Now why the change in specs, Specs?"

"A chocobo stole my glasses," Ignis told her. "Prompto had found these prior."

"Are they the—"

"Yes."

"And your hair?"

Ignis touched the crown of his head. "As near as I can feel."

"It makes you look more mature," Aranea decided.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked.

She leaned close to his ear so that her whisper tickled a bit. "It's a very good thing." Ignis smiled.


	34. A Teaching Moment

**Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **A Teachable Moment**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

"How was the exam?" Ignis asked as Talcott approached the gate where he and Aranea were waiting.

"I did better than most," Talcott answered. "Definitely passed. Just not as high a score as I would have liked."

Ignis was satisfied with that. He knew Talcott was a bright young man. "Are you dressed warmly?"

"Yes, sir," the young man replied. "I've got a bag with lots of padding to carry the books safely." His tone carried excitement now.

"Did you bring a weapon?" he asked.

"Mr. Amacitia gave me a short sword and a pistol," Talcott answered. "He said to use each to see which feels more natural and that I'm to follow your orders and Miss Highwind's."

"That's Commodore Highwind," Aranea corrected, though Ignis heard the slightest hint of playfulness there.

"Sorry, ma'am."

"I like this kid," she told Ignis. Then she spoke to Talcott. "Use the sword in the caves. Errant bullets can ricochet. There are usually some animals outside the caves. You can try the gun there."

Ignis nodded. "The city could use the meat."

"We'll send someone after you to pick it up, sir." Ignis recognized Stan's voice. He was one of the regulars at the gate.

"Thank you, Stan," Ignis offered. "Please open the gate."

The gate began to grind upward. Ignis could almost feel the nervous energy Talcott was giving off. "I haven't been outside this gate since the sun went away," the teenager admitted.

"You're in luck then," Aranea told him. "You're going to see a fair variety of daemons today. Sword unless I tell you otherwise. I don't want to get shot today. I have plans."

"Yes, ma'am."

Ignis did his best not to smile. Which was formidable, given all his training back in Insomnia. "If they're coming after us for the meat," he said, "we really ought to take down the giant snake at the bottom of the hill."

"Snake meat is good, too," Aranea agreed. "Tastes like chickatrice."

"Giant snake?" Talcott asked.

"You'll see." Ignis heard an engine in the street in front of them.

"You three need a ride?" a woman called from the cab.

"Wouldn't hurt?" Aranea suggested. Ignis nodded. "We're not going far, but if you could drop us off at the stairs over there, it'd spare us a daemon or two."

"You got it," the woman said. "Hop on."

"You two aren't carrying any weapons," Talcott noticed.

"I have a myriad weapons at my disposal," Ignis told him. "Sets of daggers or my choice of lances, and even elemental spells. I have certain access to the king's armiger."

"You wouldn't believe the stuff they keep in there," Aranea commented conspiratorially.

"Where do you keep your lance, Commodore?" Ignis teased.

"I always have it nearby," she replied as the truck stopped. Ignis heard her hop out. He slid to the edge and stepped down. Talcott did likewise. Aranea led the way down the stairs. Ignis knew the path beyond was generally without obstacles so he left his cane at his waist as they walked down the hill.

Talcott gasped when they neared the bottom. "That giant snake?"

"That's the one," Ignis said. "Snakes in general are weak to lightning."

"Try the gun," Aranea told him. "Aim for the head. Always. And stay back."

Ignis called the Zwill daggers, strongest in the armiger, and stormbound them. The battle was on.

* * *

WIth the snake down, Ignis released the daggers and returned to Talcott with Aranea. "Sir, ma'am," the young man said, "that was incredible!"

"Are you hurt in any way?" Ignis asked.

"No, sir," Talcott replied. "I stayed back as ordered. I think I hit it once or twice."

They left the snake lying where it was and turned right. "Take Mr. Scientia's arm here. The uneven ground is tricky. I'll deal with these beasts."

Ignis appreciated that. He hadn't had to ask but was grateful for the assistance. He guided Talcott to the right and up while Aranea slaughtered the shieldshears below. The roar of the waterfall grew closer. He could feel the chill start to reach them.

"Does she get her magic from the king, too, sir?"

"No," Ignis replied. "She used to use that lance against Lucis. She has access to a different magic." Soon the waterfall was so loud he couldn't hear the fight on the shore.

"All that meat should last awhile," Aranea commented, having jumped up to where they were waiting.

"Not with as many mouths to feed as we have," Ignis told her. "Still, every little bit helps. Onward?"

They passed behind the waterfall and into the icy caves. "Man, that _is_ cold," Talcott said. "I kind of got used to Lestallum's heat."

"It's cooler than it was before the darkness," Ignis said. "I used to find the heat overbearing."

"This," Aranea said as Ignis heard the squishing of their movement, "is flan. Sword."

"Yes, ma'am."

Flan was weak here, so Ignis stood back and let them deal with the daemons. It took a bit longer than it had when he and Aranea had fought them, and Talcott did get hit at least once. He gave the kid a potion when Aranea called for one.

"Now we slide," she told them. She took Ignis's arm as they had before and they jumped together. Talcott jumped behind them.

"Imps," Aranea called out as they landed. "If you can isolate one away from the others, slash at it until it's dead. Watch out for its claws and tail."

Ignis honed in on one, well away from Talcott. He used his lance and threw it, pinning the daemon to the icy wall of the cave. He left it there and found another for his daggers. Aranea took two. "I got one," Talcott said, slightly out of breath. Ignis could hear him limping. He finished off the pinned daemon and released the lance to the armiger with his daggers.

He let Aranea look the youngster over. "Elixir," she decided.

"Stronger than a potion," Ignis told Talcott as he handed one to the young man. "It works the same way."

Talcott cracked the elixir as Aranea gave him a quick primer on curatives. "Potion, hi-potion, elixir, hi-elixir. They go up in strength for heavier wounds. Phoenix downs are for the most severe."

"They could keep you dying," Ignis added to clarify. "I have them. Call out if you need one, but be sure you are dying. They're not to be wasted. Don't be shy about asking for a curative. The going theory is that a potion or elixir might keep you from becoming infected and turning into a daemon yourself."

"Yes, sir."

Aranea led them to the edge of the next slide. "There are also curatives for spells the daemons use. They can cause confusion, poison you, turn you into a toad, or petrify you temporarily."

"A toad?"

"A toad," Ignis confirmed. He held out his hands to show the relative size of the toad one could become. "It wears off but can be cured with a Maiden's Kiss. And yes, I have access to those."

"This slide is the longer one, with a big drop at the bottom," Aranea warned. "Spot your landing and roll with it. Come up fighting."

"Yes, ma'am."

She took Ignis's arm again and they jumped together. Then she watched for Talcott as Ignis began the attack on the Ariadne there. Ignis cracked a hi-potion when they were done with that one. Talcott asked for another elixir. Aranea was set with a potion.

"Now the ledge, right?" she asked. Ignis nodded. Aranea led, Ignis followed, and Talcott took up the rear. "Don't look down," she ordered. "Look where you're going."

They passed the fire resource and Ignis let the two of them deal with the flan again. He joined in on the imps.

"I see the lightning resource," Aranea called out.

"What are those?" Talcott asked.

"The king can draw elemental energy from them," Ignis explained as they passed the resource on the narrow band of rock beside it. "He can then use that energy to create different powerful spells. I can use the simpler ones. Just one element alone. He can mix them with other elements and even items, such as coeurl whiskers, for example, to make them stronger and maybe give them a powerful characteristic like poison."

"Wow!"

"Indeed," Ignis repliled. They came to the second ledge.

"Same as before," Aranea said. "Don't look down. It wraps around, just go slowly and don't fall."

As they turned the corner, Ignis let the young man know what they were going to face. "Outside the tomb," he said, "there will be a group of daemons. Imps, mindflayers, ronin. Keep away from the ronin. You're no match yet. He'll skewer you. The mindflayers will wrap you in their tentacles and sap your strength. I'll deal with them. You get the imps."

"Yes, sir," Talcott sounded determined.

"That leaves the ronin for me," Aranea said.

"Draw them away from the mindflayers as much as possible," Ignis told them.

"Lightning again," Aranea told Talcott. "His zipping around is almost like the king's warp-strikes."

The battle was rough. Several elixirs were consumed and one hi-elixir before it was finished, but they prevailed and stepped into the tomb.

"Wow!" Talcott said again. He walked up to the sarcophagus. "This is one of the kings."

"Yes, and he held a sword when we first came here." He pantomimed Noctis's movements. "King Noctis held his hand over it. It began to glow then rose up before stabbing him in the chest. But it was more like energy than a physical sword. It incorporated itself into his armiger. He could then call all the royal arms he'd collected and send them to attack and enemy."

"Why can't he defeat the Accursed now and bring the light back?" Talcott asked. "He sounds plenty powerful for it."

"The Accursed is immortal," Ignis replied. "He command's legions of daemons. The king must be stronger still. He will return when he is ready."

"Stand near the walls," Aranea warned. Ignis heard her open the statue's hands and the floor began to turn, opening the way to the staircase below. Ignis called for lights and activated his own for their benefit. They descended single file on the narrow stairs and Ignis opened the portrait-door.

"This is incredible!" Talcott exclaimed. "I want to take them all back. Can't we put them in the armiger?"

"Sadly," Ignis told him, "it doesn't work like that. I can only access parts of it. And that includes adding things to it. I kept track of food, curatives, and money mostly. Only the king had access to everything."

Talcott lifted a book and they began reading titles and perusing the books to decide which to take. They chose six books. Talcott assured them he could carry them if they handled the fighting. By the time they left the caves, the meat had been picked up. They made it back to the stairs unmolested. There was no truck waiting though, so they had to fight an iron giant and some hobgoblins before they made it back to the gate.

"Can you do fire, too?" Talcott asked him.

Ignis called one dagger and flamebound it to show him.

"That is so cool!" Stan said.

"You should have seen the ice ones," Talcott told the guard. "Took out three hobgoblins at the same time."

"Frostbound works best on multiple enemies or on those who are weak to ice," Ignis changed the element to show them both the difference. He switched to stormbound. "Stormbinding hits multiple enemies but one at a time. Of course, it also works on those weak to lightning. Flamebinding," he switched back to the flames, "is better for individuals."

"And those weak to fire," Talcott finished.

"Precisely." Ignis released the dagger back to the armiger. "So it's always good to know the strengths and weaknesses of the various enemies, both beast and daemon. While you can't use those elements as I do, you'll find some are weaker to short swords or great swords, daggers or lances."

"Do they teach that in high school?" Talcott asked.

"Hunter and fighter training," Aranea answered. "You just got a glimpse today."

"Get those books safely to the library, and then see if you can rest a bit," Ignis ordered. "We still have an hour before dinner."


	35. Taking Stock

**Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **Taking Stock**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

Bina and Dr. Pyn were married on a Sunday morning. She had asked Ignis to walk her to the altar as her parents were no longer living. He did so, though, in truth, she walked him more than the other way around. The ceremony was at the Old Outlook, outside the gates. There were cars all around providing light and an absence of daemonic interruptions. All the ladies from Administration were in attendance, as were most of the doctors from the hospital. After the ceremony, there was a light supper and a cake for the bridal party and guests.

The Pyns chose the Vesperpool for a three day honeymoon. Ignis and the food workers prepared simple meals they could reheat over the fire, and others loaned them camping supplies and equipment. They took a small truck and set out one hour after the ceremony had ended. Bina checked in every day to let Ignis and her colleagues know they were safe. He passed the information on to Dr. Marin at the hospital. Thanks to the new headlights and the magic of the havens, Bina and her husband returned safely Wednesday evening. By then, new quarters had been found where they could live together. Two individuals, chosen by lottery, were moved from communal housing to their previous units.

Ignis was glad Lestallum was in a position to offer a honeymoon and shared housing. Things were still tight in some areas (food and housing chiefly) but it was no longer simply survival at its basest. People could live lives now. They could meet, fall in love, get married, move in together. They could divorce. Not a happy occasion perhaps, but it was part of life for some. Children were being born and educated. Teens were beginning to choose internships. Young people were graduating into their new professions, or even forging new ones.

Everyone now had two days off a week. They had leisure to engage in hobbies. Lestallum now had a theater and orchestra all manned by workers in their spare time. Some instruments had survived, some were found, and some were fashioned out of what could be found. There were books being read, a few being written and passed from reader to reader. A soccer ball had been found. Teams were formed. The pitch they played on was the street blocked off for training. It was shorter and thinner than the real deal, so the goals were smaller to keep it challenging.

Vyv's newspaper was getting thicker. There was more to write about both locally and in the wider area. There were new journalists to do the writing, and new sections covering the arts and sport. Dino had a little workshop he shared with his ex-girlfriend who did hair. Both worked on barter. Jessica showed Ignis new murals every few weeks by one of the local artists.

Prompto was partially right. Lestallum still had to survive her challenges, but she was doing more than that now. They were beginning to thrive. Ignis felt that left him some leeway to muse about the rebirth of Insomnia. He couldn't make any official plans, not yet. He only had the vaguest information about its current state of disrepair. But he could imagine that building materials, in the form of bricks and blocks of rubble, would be plentiful. Iris had told them, when they first met her here after learning of the fall of the city, that some outlying neighborhoods had survived. Most were picked clean by now. Lestallum would likely have to assist in the early days, with food and manufactured items. He'd need people from every primary profession to move to Insomnia to begin rebuilding, cultivating land for farms, renovating factories for manufacturing, starting schools and medical centers.

At least this time, Ignis knew he had time to plan. There were still some years before Noctis returned and brought back the sun. When the dust settled, Ignis hoped to already have a detailed plan to rebuild the city and the rest of Lucis. He hoped to eventually be in a place to help Accordo and Tenebrae rebuild as well. Lestallums residents would have the world to spread out.

Bina interrupted his musings. "Talcott Hester is asking to see you, Ignis."

That was unusual. School had ended for the day but they often saw each other at dinner and still met regularly at the library. He was curious as to why Talcott had come to his office. "Send him in."

"Thank you for seeing me, sir," Talcott said as he entered. "I have a proposition considering my upcoming internship." Young people Talcott's age were still in school, but starting to explore various professions before they chose their internships at seventeen.

"You'll be exploring different jobs next term," Ignis replied. "Why discuss it now?"

"I already know what I want to do," Talcott replied. "I don't need to explore other professions."

"I'm listening," Ignis told him.

"I want to have two internships," Talcott said. "I want to be a historian and a hunter."

Few people tried to have two internships. Internships started during the last year of school. Two would be extra work. "Two internships in addition to your schoolwork?"

"One is an extension of my schoolwork," Talcott pointed out.

"The other is physically demanding. Why a hunter?" Ignis thought he knew but he wanted to hear Talcott's reasoning.

"I want to go with you to explore the tombs. I know the history better than the Commodore and can help work through what we find there. But I don't expect you to always protect me. I want to be able to fight anything that stands in our way, daemon or beast. I'm learning to drive, too, so we can get to those tombs safely and easily."

"And what about when our searching is done. When we've seen all the libraries in the tombs? You should think long-term. Internships become professions."

"Yes, sir," Talcott agreed. "I figure we'll still have to analyze everything we bring back. And after the king brings back the sun, I can still be a historian."

Ignis tried aging up the image he had in his mind of Talcott. It wasn't easy having not seen him. The boy was fifteen. That was the same age Ignis had started training with the Crownsguard, while still attending school and keeping up with his other responsibilities. Finally, he decided. "Your present term ends in two months. Next term, you can try to find an historian who'll take you on—on a part-time basis. You will also begin hunter training with Gladiolus and/or the Marshall or anyone they assign you to. If at the quarter your schooling has suffered, you'll have to give up one of those internships. If at semester, it still suffers, you'll give up the other. You'll have leave to try again the next year."

"Thank you, sir," Talcott said. He took Ignis's right hand and shook it across the desk. "I won't let you down."

"Just do your best," Ignis told him as he headed for the door. "See you at dinner."

Bina stepped back in. "Do you think he can do it?"

Ignis smiled. "Yes, actually, I think he can."


	36. A New Challenge

**Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **New Friendships**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

The vessels themselves were magnificent, tall ships like those she'd seen in movies and picture books. But they were worn and crowded. Aranea thought she saw more than fifty on each deck. There was hardly any space where there wasn't a person. And every person was waving.

Ignis was on the phone with Dustin, who was using Morse code to find which ship had a representative who could speak with them. And who could climb aboard her airship. Aranea sincerely hoped it wouldn't be someone on, say, the third ship from the left. She wanted an outer ship with plenty of space on the side. Finally a person was chosen and Ignis hung up.

One of the ships moved forward while the rest dropped anchor where they were. Aranea directed her ship to descend to just above the water's surface. Fortunately, the waves were low right now. She opened the ship and lowered the ramp next to that front ship. Her men helped an older woman onboard. She was thin, somewhat gaunt in fact, but moved with relative ease. Her hair was just starting to gray. She had a kind face and intelligent eyes.

"I'm Kala Fen Doret," the woman said, by introduction. "Representative of the last bastion of Tenebrae."

Ignis stepped toward her an offered his hand. As they shook, he introduced himself. "Ignis Scientia, representing Lestallum and its Outposts, last bastion of humanity in Lucis. This is Commodore Aranea Highwind, formerly of the Empire."

"I remember," Kala said. "But I also remember her support for the refugees in later days. There's no more empire. No more Tenebrae. We're all just humanity now, aren't we?"

"I sincerely hope we will remain that," Ignis told her, "even after the return of the sun."

"You believe the sun will rise?" Her manner didn't make her seem disbelieving.

But Ignis was not taken aback. "I know it will. The True King, Noctis Lucis Caelem, will make sure it does."

"He lives then?" she said, somewhat shocked. "I'd assumed his death is what brought on the darkness. He's in Lestallum, then?"

"No," Ignis replied. "He's away, preparing himself for the battle against Ardyn Izunia, the Accursed. The sun will return after that battle. But that is still some time off. We have to decide how we will all survive—and maybe even thrive—in these years of darkness."

Kala still seemed uncertain. "Mr. Scientia here," Aranea said, "is one of the king's retainers."

That seemed to satisfy her. "Lestallum's power plant has made survival possible for you as these ships have done for us. Up to now. We can't continue on the sea."

"I understand," Ignis stated. "And yet we cannot absorb all of you in Lestallum. We don't have adequate housing, nor the food to feed you. But I'm hoping you and I can work out a mutually beneficial compromise. Do you know the demographics of your people?"

"It's a mix," Kala admitted. "We have families and individuals. Some were professionals, some ordinary workers. Some already had sailing experience, though we've all had to learn. We have fish and fishermen. Some could remain on these ships. Some would even prefer it. No daemons on the seas. They could offer you fish if you could offer fruits and vegetables in exchange."

Ignis smiled. "Precisely my thinking. We have year-round farming, some livestock but mostly fruit, vegetables, and grains. We have factories making necessities, like light bulbs, toiletries, furniture and the like. We have some housing now. We could manage more if we repaired and renovated a section of the city we have yet to secure. But that will take some time. Can your people fight or build?"

"Some can fight," Kala admitted. "Some learned before they boarded. Some after, though we lost some of those in our last search party. As for building, we've had to learn to be good with our hands to keep these ships afloat. Some have proved skilled in carpentry, others in mechanics. All have learned to be hard-working."

"How many could remain on the ships?"

"The necessary crew would be twenty-five adults. So three hundred."

"And you're running shifts of fifty, three a day, hot-swapping?" Ignis asked. Before she answered, he went on. "What if you could keep just fifty on board each ship, hot-swapping just two shifts of twenty-five? That could mean nearly half stay on board."

"It would certainly be more comfortable than now, though not ideal," Kala admitted. "Could more leave the ships when you have that sector secured?"

"If we have the space, they would certainly be welcome," Ignis stated. "Presently, we could do some shifting and take in six hundred. This will probably not be popular with the general public. They've gotten used to being more comfortable though we're still fairly overcrowded already. We've sort of moved beyond base survival however. This level of crowding could set us back. We have outposts that could take a few people, one family each. Two here in Cape Caem. There's a sizeable house here. The lighthouse keeps the grounds fairly safe. With some battery operated lamps, the garden might actually be useful."

"Those on the ships provide fish then, and those on land provide produce."

"And other supplies," Ignis offered. "It wouldn't be 'us' and 'them', 'you' and 'us.' We'd all work together for the survival of the community. "We'd all be 'we' and 'us.'"

"So you'd put us to work in Lestallum or those outposts."

"As equals. Just as everyone there already works. We have a system to find useful positions for all skills and skill levels. We educate our children and make interns of teenagers so they can learn a profession. We have farmers, food service workers, scientists, engineers, doctors, historians, a veterinarian, a library, hunters and fighters. There's somewhere for everyone."

Kala furrowed her eyebrows. "Just how many people do you have?"

Ignis smiled lightly. "Just under fifty thousand."

Kala's eyes went wide. Aranea herself was somewhat impressed with that number. She hadn't realized. "Fifty thousand," Kala repeated. "That's astonishing!"

"We've done well," Ignis admitted. "Shall we join forces?"

"We'll need time to sort our people," Kala said. "But yes. I think humanity's chances just went up."

"We brought you all some citrus fruits and fresh water in the meantime," Ignis said. He motioned toward the back of the ship where there we boxes of fruit and bottles of water. Aranea wondered if Kala even realized he was blind. He gave nothing away. "We require time as well, to reorganize our housing arrangements."

"And we have fish we can offer you," Kala said. "Maybe that can soften the blow to your grumpy populace. I'd love to say they can have a fish each but we don't have fifty thousand fish."

"We're fairly decent at sharing," Ignis replied.

"My men can handle the swap of goods," Aranea offered. "Oh, and let your people know, I do have reprogrammed MTs in my army. They fight daemons and rogue Imperials. It wouldn't be good if your fighters destroyed them."

"You reprogrammed MTs?" Kala asked, smiling.

"We have a very talented hacker," Ignis admitted. "We also have vehicles with enhanced headlights. Your people will not be harassed on the roads."

They agreed to meet again in two days. Aranea had her ship descend again. Her men escorted Kala back to her ship. They carried the fruit and water over and brought back tubs of dried fish. The other eleven fish drew up even with the front one and small boats ferried supplies between them.

"I may never get this smell out of my ship," Aranea teased.

"I'm either going to be haled a hero or run out of town," Ignis quipped.

Aranea put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, if they do run you out, I'll take ya in."


	37. New Friendships

**Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Wall**

 **New Friendships**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

The vessels themselves were magnificent, tall ships like those she'd seen in movies and picture books. But they were worn and crowded. Aranea thought she saw more than fifty on each deck. There was hardly any space where there wasn't a person. And every person was waving.

Ignis was on the phone with Dustin, who was using Morse code to find which ship had a representative who could speak with them. And who could climb aboard her airship. Aranea sincerely hoped it wouldn't be someone on, say, the third ship from the left. She wanted an outer ship with plenty of space on the side. Finally a person was chosen and Ignis hung up.

One of the ships moved forward while the rest dropped anchor where they were. Aranea directed her ship to descend to just above the water's surface. Fortunately, the waves were low right now. She opened the ship and lowered the ramp next to that front ship. Her men helped an older woman onboard. She was thin, somewhat gaunt in fact, but moved with relative ease. Her hair was just starting to gray. She had a kind face and intelligent eyes.

"I'm Kala Fen Doret," the woman said, by introduction. "Representative of the last bastion of Tenebrae."

Ignis stepped toward her an offered his hand. As they shook, he introduced himself. "Ignis Scientia, representing Lestallum and its Outposts, last bastion of humanity in Lucis. This is Commodore Aranea Highwind, formerly of the Empire."

"I remember," Kala said. "But I also remember her support for the refugees in later days. There's no more empire. No more Tenebrae. We're all just humanity now, aren't we?"

"I sincerely hope we will remain that," Ignis told her, "even after the return of the sun."

"You believe the sun will rise?" Her manner didn't make her seem disbelieving.

But Ignis was not taken aback. "I know it will. The True King, Noctis Lucis Caelem, will make sure it does."

"He lives then?" she said, somewhat shocked. "I'd assumed his death is what brought on the darkness. He's in Lestallum, then?"

"No," Ignis replied. "He's away, preparing himself for the battle against Ardyn Izunia, the Accursed. The sun will return after that battle. But that is still some time off. We have to decide how we will all survive—and maybe even thrive—in these years of darkness."

Kala still seemed uncertain. "Mr. Scientia here," Aranea said, "is one of the king's retainers."

That seemed to satisfy her. "Lestallum's power plant has made survival possible for you as these ships have done for us. Up to now. We can't continue on the sea."

"I understand," Ignis stated. "And yet we cannot absorb all of you in Lestallum. We don't have adequate housing, nor the food to feed you. But I'm hoping you and I can work out a mutually beneficial compromise. Do you know the demographics of your people?"

"It's a mix," Kala admitted. "We have families and individuals. Some were professionals, some ordinary workers. Some already had sailing experience, though we've all had to learn. We have fish and fishermen. Some could remain on these ships. Some would even prefer it. No daemons on the seas. They could offer you fish if you could offer fruits and vegetables in exchange."

Ignis smiled. "Precisely my thinking. We have year-round farming, some livestock but mostly fruit, vegetables, and grains. We have factories making necessities, like light bulbs, toiletries, furniture and the like. We have some housing now. We could manage more if we repaired and renovated a section of the city we have yet to secure. But that will take some time. Can your people fight or build?"

"Some can fight," Kala admitted. "Some learned before they boarded. Some after, though we lost some of those in our last search party. As for building, we've had to learn to be good with our hands to keep these ships afloat. Some have proved skilled in carpentry, others in mechanics. All have learned to be hard-working."

"How many could remain on the ships?"

"The necessary crew would be twenty-five adults. So three hundred."

"And you're running shifts of fifty, three a day, hot-swapping?" Ignis asked. Before she answered, he went on. "What if you could keep just fifty on board each ship, hot-swapping just two shifts of twenty-five? That could mean nearly half stay on board."

"It would certainly be more comfortable than now, though not ideal," Kala admitted. "Could more leave the ships when you have that sector secured?"

"If we have the space, they would certainly be welcome," Ignis stated. "Presently, we could do some shifting and take in six hundred. This will probably not be popular with the general public. They've gotten used to being more comfortable though we're still fairly overcrowded already. We've sort of moved beyond base survival however. This level of crowding could set us back. We have outposts that could take a few people, one family each. Two here in Cape Caem. There's a sizeable house here. The lighthouse keeps the grounds fairly safe. With some battery operated lamps, the garden might actually be useful."

"Those on the ships provide fish then, and those on land provide produce."

"And other supplies," Ignis offered. "It wouldn't be 'us' and 'them', 'you' and 'us.' We'd all work together for the survival of the community. "We'd all be 'we' and 'us.'"

"So you'd put us to work in Lestallum or those outposts."

"As equals. Just as everyone there already works. We have a system to find useful positions for all skills and skill levels. We educate our children and make interns of teenagers so they can learn a profession. We have farmers, food service workers, scientists, engineers, doctors, historians, a veterinarian, a library, hunters and fighters. There's somewhere for everyone."

Kala furrowed her eyebrows. "Just how many people do you have?"

Ignis smiled lightly. "Just under fifty thousand."

Kala's eyes went wide. Aranea herself was somewhat impressed with that number. She hadn't realized. "Fifty thousand," Kala repeated. "That's astonishing!"

"We've done well," Ignis admitted. "Shall we join forces?"

"We'll need time to sort our people," Kala said. "But yes. I think humanity's chances just went up."

"We brought you all some citrus fruits and fresh water in the meantime," Ignis said. He motioned toward the back of the ship where there we boxes of fruit and bottles of water. Aranea wondered if Kala even realized he was blind. He gave nothing away. "We require time as well, to reorganize our housing arrangements."

"And we have fish we can offer you," Kala said. "Maybe that can soften the blow to your grumpy populace. I'd love to say they can have a fish each but we don't have fifty thousand fish."

"We're fairly decent at sharing," Ignis replied.

"My men can handle the swap of goods," Aranea offered. "Oh, and let your people know, I do have reprogrammed MTs in my army. They fight daemons and rogue Imperials. It wouldn't be good if your fighters destroyed them."

"You reprogrammed MTs?" Kala asked, smiling.

"We have a very talented hacker," Ignis admitted. "We also have vehicles with enhanced headlights. Your people will not be harassed on the roads."

They agreed to meet again in two days. Aranea had her ship descend again. Her men escorted Kala back to her ship. They carried the fruit and water over and brought back tubs of dried fish. The other eleven fish drew up even with the front one and small boats ferried supplies between them.

"I may never get this smell out of my ship," Aranea teased.

"I'm either going to be haled a hero or run out of town," Ignis quipped.

Aranea put a hand on his shoulder. "Well, if they do run you out, I'll take ya in."


	38. Pushing the Limits

Author's Note: I hadn't written in a while. Not because I had burnt out. More because 1) I started playing another video game. I waited until I finished the main part. 2) I got a job. Not a great job. Still looking for a better one. But it's (eventually) going to have a paycheck. And it starts at 7am in the same place my husband starts at 6. So, I'm woken up by him (not 5 alarm clocks making me do math and other puzzles) at 5:15. I sleep for 45-50 minutes in the car after he goes in and then I go in at 7. Then I spend 8 hours hardly doing anything so I'm doing my best to stay awake. I COULD write then. But I didn't. But here's proof I did finally write! I give you the 38th chapter:

 **Momentis  
Part III: Beyond the Walls**

 **Pushing the Limits**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

The people of Lestallum were already in a mood, given the anniversary of the last day with any sunlight. There was less music in the evenings after work, and what music there was was somber. People spoke in hushed tones. Until the rumors spread. The grumbling was fairly loud. Already crowded people didn't want to move into more crowded spaces or let more people move in with them. There already wasn't enough food to grow fat on, and now there would be less.

Ignis knew he needed to address them. He needed to try and get them to accept the changes, sacrifice for the good of everyone, and realize it wouldn't be as bad as they feared. And yet, he didn't like giving speeches he couldn't write out beforehand. Well, he could use upside-down Braille, but it would take a lot of time to write it. A Braille typewriter would be a big help. And he was still fairly certain, he could not tell the populace the main reason he felt so passionate about saving people.

While some might despair to learn of the King's required death, others might logically see it as a needs-of-the-many scenario. To those, Noctis's death might seem an affordable cost. To Ignis, it was the highest cost he could fathom.

Ignis stood at the Outlook. There was a microphone in front of him and speakers for the crowds in the streets below as well as in the housing blocks and dining halls. Everyone would hear. And Ignis was just going to have to wing it. It had worked well before but he wasn't so sure now.

"Too often," he began, "we only receive sad news from the world outside the gates. More people lost, more daemons everywhere. Occasionally, we get good news: our new headlights or a new survivor who somehow lasted all these years in the dark. Dino, for instance. Or Wiz and his chocobos. Rarely, do we find any groups of survivors anymore larger than one could count on one hand.

"And yet today," he went on, "we have received astounding news! Hundreds of new survivors in tall ships off the coast of Cape Caem. They've been on the sea from Tenebrae for most of the last five years. They have survived mostly on fish but without other needed nutrients. I spoke with their leader today, and we have come up with a mutually beneficial relationship. Roughly half their number will come here to Lestallum, lessening the overcrowding on their ships that was threatening their sanitation systems. Most of these will be families with children and skilled laborers. The other half will remain on their ships. We will supply them with produce and goods. They will supply us with needed protein from fish.

"I realize that an increase of such size to our population will be uncomfortable in the short term. It will take sacrifice to house all the new people while already many are feeling cramped. To alleviate this, I purpose we look to the last sector of the old city to be reclaimed. As with our previous expansions, we'll need to secure it, and then renovate and rebuild. Once that sector is ready, hundreds will be able to relocate.

"However, that will take time. I ask you then, to join with me in welcoming these fellow survivors. Those who lived here Lestallum before the darkness and destruction opened their homes and businesses to those of us who came after. And to this day, we have never turned any other survivors away. We are no longer Lestallumers or Insomnians. Not Accordans nor Tenebraeans, nor even Imperials. We are all survivors, the last bastion of humanity in Eos. We have not only survived here, we are living. And anyone who has survived the daemons and the darkness this long deserves that. I highly doubt, five years after the darkness became complete, we will ever again find even one more survivor. I can only hope to be astounded once again.

"These new survivors will be arriving the day after tomorrow. If you have a friend or coworker or loved one and wish to voluntarily double up to make room, please stop by Administration today. Everyone else, we will be drawing up new plans to house everyone in the most efficacious way we can. Once Construction has plans for new housing in the expansion, we will take applications for relocation.

"Thank you all for your time. As a token of good will from our new friends, we will all find some fish in our dinners tonight."

There was some applause when he was done but it was subdued. He hadn't stated the full number that would be coming to the city. He knew the moving wouldn't be popular but he sincerely hoped the people could see the benefit in welcoming these newcomers, if not right away, in short order. With more workers, the reclamation might go faster. With more fish, everyone's bellies would be a little fuller. And when Noctis finally came back, he'd see there was a world worth his sacrifice.

"Not bad," Bina commented as they walked back to Administration.

"So you don't think I'll be drawn and quartered this evening?" Ignis joked.

"Maybe not for a few days, at least," she teased back. "We've been lucky thus far, I think. No major uprisings over policies, no protests in the streets. For as many people as we have in so close a setting, it's really something. I just worry that we're eventually going to push just a bit too far. Let the sacrifices outweigh the benefits and we could end up with riots."

Ignis sighed. She was right. He just hoped it wasn't now. "I don't think we'll ever be in this position again. There simply can't be that many more survivors out there. The only reason these Tenebraeans made it is that there are no daemons at sea. If we can weather this, we'll make it through to the end, I think."

"The end of the darkness," she clarified. "I admit that it's getting harder to hope for that. Five years now. I want the sun to return, but I sometimes wonder if it we'll just get better and better at living in the dark and this will be the way it stays."

"I wish I could share my faith with you and everyone else," Ignis told her as they started up the stairs. "I know Noctis will return and fulfill his destiny. I grew up with him. I know him. He will bring the sun back to the world."

"I wish someone somewhere could tell us how much longer," she said.

"Me, too," Ignis agreed.

Within an hour, Ignis heard a steady stream of steps on the stairs. They didn't come to his office though. Ignis went to his door to listen better. They were heading to where Ann and Gena sat.

"Volunteers," Dara whispered as she walked by his doorway.


	39. The Hard Part of the Job

Author's Note: I find it harder to write now that I have a job I don't like. Or that I have to wake up so early that doesn't fit my metabolism. I'm a night person. I'm more creative at night. But now I have to be in bed by 11. The writing is so much harder now. So that's why it took so much time to write this short chapter. I'm not burnt out on the story. I'm burnt out by my new job and left only time to be creative as I'm falling asleep or on Friday and Saturday nights when I can stay up later.

 **Momentis  
Part IV: Life in the Dark**

 **The Hard Part of the Job by Philippe de la Matraque**

* * *

 **Dissent was growing. Ignis heard it at meals and on his walk through the Administration building. Gena's intern was constantly fielding complaint calls while Ann's attempted to ward off the one's who came to voice their displeasure in person. A few of them got though. Fortunately, Ignis had been trained in diplomacy and most of it was kept respectful. He also heard it on his Sunday walks. Which is why he went hunting most Sundays. It was the overcrowding causing it. Ignis couldn't wait for the new sector to be opened up.**

 **Not everyone complained. In the last two months, the Tenebraeans had become part of Lestalum's community. They were working alongside those who were here before. Tenebraean children played with Accordan children and Lucian children all the same. Friendships had been formed. Courtships had even happened.**

 **The grumbling and complaining was never directed at the newcomers. It was directed at Administration in general and him in particular. That sector could not come soon enough. And he had to admit, part of him wanted Noctis to hurry back and save the world so they could all spread out. But it always came back to the fact that Nocttis would have to die for that to happen.**

 **Dr. Marin had been by to see him. Flu season was coming. Every year, they lost some of the most vulnerable to that foul virus, though not in the numbers they had that first year. She was concerned that this year might surpass it, given the density of the population. Ignis worried about that, too. He had Fin work up a flyer so that supervisors, teachers, and building administrators could remind people about washing their hands, sneezing and coughing into their sleeves, and social distancing. That last one was a challenge.**

 **Ignis met every day with at least six people who came to complain about the cramped conditions. One couple complained that they were recently married and had no privacy to do what newly married people wanted badly to do. Another man stated that it was unfair that people like Ignis had apartments to themselves. Ignis explained that he had just one room, and a small one at that. He had a bed, a chair and a side table. Little more. The man admitted that he thought Ignis was at the Leville. Ignis told him that no individuals were assigned to the Leville, and that some of its suites held multiple households.**

 **Not everyone was so easily placated. Many had legitimate concerns. Ignis empathized but could offer no immediate solutions. While work on the sector was ahead of schedule, it had not progressed enough for anyone to move in. Ignis assured everyone that Construction estimated seven to eight hundred people could be housed in the sector when it was ready. If they could just hold out another half a year or so, the overcrowding would be greatly eased.**

 **At least they had better nutrition on their side. The steady influx of fish had been welcomed by all. Another bit of good news was that work was progressing faster in the new sector thanks to all the extra workers. There were still rough patches and it was not yet fully walled in or lit with more than temporary lighting. Those lamps were turned off during night hours to conserve their bulbs. Which meant there were daemons to be cleared out each morning as work started anew. But Centa estimated the wall could be closed within the next month. Demolition of those areas too damaged would take another three months. Living quarters would then be prioritized. One building stood near the existing wall but needed renovation and repair. Centa believed they'd have room and materials to build a second. The sector might not be finished for a year, but people would likely be able to move in in six or seven months.**

 **Six or seven months had never seemed so long before. Well, except his escape from Gralea with Prompto and Gladio. At least now he got more regular sleep.**

 **Ignis had finally been able to put all those concerns aside as he worked with Talcott at the library. There were intriguing clues about Ardyn floating around. The name came up now and then, though the surname changed from time to time. It was never Izunia. Ignis knew from the vision that Ardyn wasn't just a man. Not anymore. He was immortal. So how old was he and why had he become so obsessed with the line of Lucis?**

 **Ignis bade good night to Talcott and began the walk back to his hotel room. As he turned down one street, his cane met an obstruction. Ignis put a hand up and soon realized it was the golf cart. "Terah?" he called out. She had been on duty this evening. When she didn't respond, he reasoned she might be in one of the nearby buildings seeing to a patient. The cart could be here to transport the patient to the hospital.**

 **But this was a narrow street. The cart blocked the way with mere inches on either side. As Ignis pondered this, he felt a hand on his shoulder and as another slapped a cloth over his nose and mouth. He tried to fight, to conjure his daggers, but he felt his consciousness fading. And then it was gone altogether.**

 **Author's Note: Yep, I left you with a cliff-hanger.**


	40. A Bad Night Gone Worse

Author's Note: Author's Note: Well, I made it a bit easier on myself to write. I'm a torture-fic writer after all. This'll give me some juice for a while anyway. Expect more writing on weekends though. I may try to write on my lunch breaks but I just don't know if it will work.

 **Momentis  
Part IV: Life in the Dark**

 **A Bad Night Gone Worse by Philippe de la Matraque**

* * *

When Ignis woke. He was confused. He'd been walking home from his time at the library with Talcott. Now, he was sitting in a chair with his wrists tied uncomfortably to the back legs of it. It was disconcerting to say the least. One, because he felt like he was waking up but didn't remember having dreamed. And two, because he was tied to a chair.

"He's waking up." That voice. He knew that voice.

Ignis raised his head. "I am awake," he said. "May I ask why I'm tied to a chair? And what you did with Terah?"

"She probably woke up fifteen minutes before you did and wondered where the golf cart went." That voice he didn't recognize.

"So she's unharmed?" Ignis remained calm. He'd been trained for such things. They were talking right now and he needed information.

"She's fine. You're fine. We didn't bring you here to hurt you. We just want to talk." A third voice.

"We could have talked in my office," Ignis pointed out, "and that doesn't explain the chair."

"I've seen you train," the second voice said. "You can pull some powerful daggers out of thin air. We don't want you to hurt us either."

Ignis nodded. He knew his strengths. He could take three opponents easily enough with frost-bound daggers. His palms though were effectively flat against the chair legs. He couldn't conjure anything in this position. "It's the King's armiger," he explained. "As one of his retainers, I have access to many daggers but also lances." He decided not to tell them about the elemental weapons or the curatives. They were irrelevant to the current conversation.

"Good to know."

"And if I gave you my word not to hurt you, would you untie me?" Ignis tried.

"Not sure we care for your word." The third voice again.

"Have you known me to be dishonest?" Ignis asked, still calm.

"You're not a liar," the first, familiar, voice said. "But you spin things. And there are things you're not telling. Like where the King is."

"He's dead, isn't he?" Third injected. "That's why we're in darkness."

"If he were dead," Ignis reasoned, "I couldn't access his armiger at all. Just as the Glaive lost access to magic after King Regis was slain."

That caused a murmur in the three. Were there other voices? Hard to say. Still, Ignis had scored a point.

"Then why isn't he here? Why hasn't he come back and brought the sun?" Second.

And that was a point for them. If he told them everything, they could tell everyone and really tank Lestallum's morale.

"He will," Ignis admitted, choosing carefully what he was willing to divulge, "eventually. I was given a vision. I saw it happen. Before I lost my sight."

"Eventually?" Third again. "When is that? If you saw this vision at all. Maybe it was just your fantasy."

"I also saw the scars on my face and the blindness I now have, before it came to pass. That's how I know it's true. I wouldn't have chosen either. Being blind and disfigured is no fantasy of mine." Giving personal truth helped build trust, Ignis knew. But he also knew to only give safe truths in a situation like this.

"Did you see when?" First voice. Fin. From Administration.

"I saw no calendar. Only that I was older, as was the king and his other retainers. Not old, but older. He was barely twenty when this began."

"He's getting us side-tracked," the third voice said. "King or no king, we have to live with the darkness we have now. Maybe for years to come, maybe forever. We were managing pretty well until he let six hundred new people in here."

So that's what this was about. "Would you have refused them?"

"Yes," Third said. "We were already overcrowded. We are dangerously so now."

"Are you from Lestallum?" Ignis asked him. "Were you here before the walls?"

"No," Third admitted. "But I was here before you."

"They let you in," Ignis pointed out. "They didn't have to. They didn't have to let me in. We'd amassed a rather large group by the time we arrived. Over a hundred, I was told. Still, they let us in. And the safe part of the city was a fraction of what it is today. Did those six hundred people deserve any less than you or I?"

"They were surviving find before they got here. Five years."

"There were twelve hundred of them, actually," Ignis told him. "Hot swapping bunks in three shifts every day. As soon as one left the bunk, another would sleep in it. They were coming down with scurvy and other illnesses from lack of vitamins. They had poor sanitary conditions. I negotiated to help us all survive. Half their number would come ashore. Half would remain and fish. We would supply them with produce and other goods in exchange for the fish they caught. We may be crowded but we're healthier today than we were before they came."

"Twelve hundred?" Fin repeated. "That would have been impossible."

"I agree. Now they are less crowded and healthier on their ships, and we're healthier here. And when the last sector of the city is finished, we'll be less crowded, too."

"Look around!" Third voice. "That'll take months if not years. This place is a wreck!"

So that's where they were. They were in the last sector. Ignis could sense some light. They wouldn't likely be beset by daemons if the light held. "Six months," Ignis told him. "I know that seems long, but it's faster than previously projected. The walls should be complete by the end of month. Then we can build round-the-clock. The one standing building will be repaired over the next five months. Once they build the second residential building, seven to eight hundred people could be housed here. The overcrowding will ease."

"Six months isn't good enough," the second voice said.

"What would you have me do?" Ignis asked. "Take all the new people from Tenebrae back to their ships? Or just banish them from the walls?"

"There's women and children. We're not animals." Third. "Besides, if we send them back to the ships, they'll stop giving us fish."

"Just the men, then?"

"No, that wouldn't be enough," Third argued again. Still, he offered no options.

"A lottery then," Ignis offered for him. "All those chosen would have to leave and go it on their own."

"That's ridiculous," Third said. "That would break up families. And some of us might have to go."

"To be fair, of course." Ingis argued. "But yes, it is ridiculous. Have you been out there lately? Unless you're a fighter, there's death out there or worse."

"What's worse than death?" Second.

"The daemons infect you," Ignis told him. "The doctors are trying to find a cure but have been thus far unsuccessful."

"What happens?" Second again.

"You become a daemon," Fin answered.

"Unless you know where the havens are," Ignis said, "you can't survive. There are daemons every twenty feet sometimes. Some alone, some in packs. So I ask you again, what would you have me do?"

One of them moved closer to him. Ignis felt a knife move against his wrist. The rope fell away on that side.

"Why'd you do that?" Third yelled.

"We can't throw people out," Fin argued.

Ignis remained seated. "It would appear you didn't think this all the way through. And now we are at an impasse. However, you did not harm me, and I will not harm you."

There was at that moment a loud pop. Ignis felt sparks on his shoulders and his vision got just a little bit darker. "What has happened?"

"It's gone dark," Second said. "I hear them!"

Ignis heard them, too. And then he heard his captors running. "We can't leave him," Fin exclaimed, though his voice got farther away.

"He can take care of himself. He hunts them, you, know," another answered. Probably Third. And then they were gone. Ignis tried to focus on the direction they'd run as he conjured a dagger and released his other hand. But the daemon behind him made him swivel quickly, and he caught it just before its fangs had bitten into his shoulder. Ignis called his lance and finished it off. There were plenty more. And he didn't know where he was to begin with.

Where was the gate to get back inside the walls, and where was the safe route? As he fought he felt his waist where his cane should be clipped. It was gone. He tried his phone but nothing happened when he touched the Bluetooth headset's button. They'd taken his cane and his phone. Ignis wondered if he'd have to fight all night. He wasn't even sure of the time.

He had a moment's reprieve and took a tentative step in the direction they'd run, using the chair as a reference point. He nearly tripped on debris. He called his lance and tried to use it in place of his cane. He started to pick his path through the debris, hoping he was going the right way. He was concentrating so hard, he almost missed the sword but dodged at the last moment. Instead, the beast punched him, knocking him hard to the side. His foot caught, and he felt himself falling to the ground. But the ground gave way and he tumbled downward, bumping into and onto and through debris, until he slammed hard into a wall.

There was a searing pain in his left side. He gingerly felt the area. His fingertips grew wet with warm blood and then traced several wooden shards protruding from his torso. His head spun from the contact with the wall. It took him a moment to realize that walls often had doors.

He could hear smaller daemons, snagga or imps, crawling down to where he was. He braced himself against the wall, and, using his lance, pushed himself to stand. And then they were on him.


	41. The Same Fear

Author's Note: Got really bored at work today. This helped.

 **Momentis  
Part IV: Life in the Dark**

 **The Same Fear  
** by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Gladio woke to the buzzing of his phone. He grabbed it, and, seeing the name, he jumped down from his bunk and headed outside so as not to disturb the others in the bunk house. "What's up?" Gladio asked Car as he answered the call.

"Ignis was kidnapped."

Gladio was suddenly very awake. Who would do that? Ardyn? "What happened?"

"They didn't harm him, but they did leave him behind outside the wall in the new sector. The lights are out."

Gladio was still very confused, but bits were starting to make sense. If the lights were out, daemons were out. "Does he answer his phone?"

"He doesn't have his phone," Cor answered. "I do. And his cane. That area is still very rough. He many not know where to go, may not be able to get over the wreckage and debris."

Gladio had enough information now even if it wasn't everything. Ignis was in trouble, alone and blind in an area he couldn't navigate well. An area full of daemons. He told Cor he'd meet him at the back gate in ten minutes. He hurried back inside to dress and grab his shoes. He woke three other fighters who had been with him for the last twenty-four hours and who he knew well enough, and they ran through the quiet city.

When they reached the gate, Cor was not alone. He was standing by the golf cart with Terah, one of the EMT's; Centa, head of Construction; and one of the interns from Administration. Cor had a strong hand hold of one of that young man's arms. Had he been involved?

"Fin, here, is going to show us where he last saw Ignis," Cor said, confirming that the intern was involved. Gladio glared at him. Cor nodded to Centa, who relayed to some of his workers that they should turn on the lights. The gate was raised and Gladio filed through behind Cor and the intern. Terah was behind him with her kit, and the three hunters took up the rear. The gate slammed shut behind them.

Though the lights were working, for the most part, there were shadowed areas where some daemons still hid. Some moved slowly and couldn't get back to the darkness so fast. Gladio and the hunters took care of those.

The intern led them along a winding path to a dark place with a smooth floor. The light had burnt out there but Gladio could still see the chair and ropes behind the ronin standing there. Cor handed the intern to one of the hunters with orders to take him back to the gate but not to release him. Cor then laid into the ronin and killed it quickly.

Cor, Gladio, and the other two hunters fanned out looking for any clues as to where Ignis had gone since leaving that chair. Terah, for her part, stayed near Cor. She was brave, Gladio would give her that. He took the direction back the way they'd come. Ignis followed footsteps. If his attackers had run off, he would have tried to follow. It took fifteen minutes before he found something. There was a trail of dirt that showed some of the debris was disturbed. As if someone had tripped perhaps. Then he saw small holes here and there in a trail of sorts. There were also some side-to-side sweeping marks. Ignis had lances. He might have used one of those in place of his cane.

Gladio followed the trail of holes and sweeps until they stopped mid-sweep. He was back in light now. He looked around. He could see the residential building that was still standing to his left. There was a steep decline from the path down to the building, and it was full of rough debris. Wood and rebar sticking out, large chunks of concrete, even broken furniture. The good path continued straight-ish for another twenty feet before turning. And to his right was a mountain of broken concrete and steel.

Gladio didn't like the conclusion he was coming to. Ignis wouldn't have chosen the steep decline if he'd been able to see it. But he hadn't continued forward, and he couldn't go right. He looked at the building again. There was a dark horizontal stripe on the wall to the left of a door. He used his phone's camera to zoom in. It was red, dark red.

"Over here!" he called as he started picking a precarious way down to that building. Cor and Terah med him at the bottom. The EMT went straight for the door. She slipped inside easily, pulling her bag behind her. Gladio had to pull the door open more, which was difficult, given the rubble in front of it. He noticed bloody handprints on the door as he passed.

Cor followed him in. Terah was about ten feet away, in shadow, standing by a door. This was still dangerous. "Here!" she called.

Gladio ran forward, scanning the darkness ahead for daemons as he went. He saw something, maybe black flan, further down the hallway but it was too dark to make out for sure. It wasn't coming this way, so he let it be and looked at where Terah was pointing. There was blood under the door.

Gladio's chest felt tight and his heart started to pound under his ribcage.

"Something's jamming it," Terah said urgently as she tried the door.

"Stand back," Gladio told her. He took a few steps back and then tucked his leading shoulder down as he ran for the door. He cried out, "Iggy, it's me!" just before he rammed the door. Pain flared from his shoulder through his chest but he felt the door quake at the impact and heard something clatter in the room beyond. He tried the knob again and was able to push the door in about six inches. He saw Ignis's boots, lots of blood and a sliver of a lance on the floor. He bent down and reached for the lance, returning it to the armiger. He could then open the door the rest of the way.

At that point, Terah pushed past him. Gladio was frozen there at the door. It was a broom closet. There was hardly any room for Ignis's long frame. He was lying on his side, and blood covered his torso and the floor. Too much blood. Ignis's face was pale, his lips looked blue in the wan light of his flash light.

This wasn't supposed to happen. They were all three supposed to be there with Noctis at the end. Iggy had seen it. He, Ignis, and Prompto were the only three people they _knew_ would survive this darkness. Ignis couldn't die now.

"He's alive!" Terah said. "Barely. Grab his feet. Pull him out of here. I need room to work."

That snapped Gladio out of his funk. He took Ignis's feet and pulled him into the corridor. Ignis didn't so much as moan. Gladio could now see the source of the blood. There was something protruding from the left side of his torso. It looked like wood.

"You've got potions and such?" Terah asked him.

Gladio nodded. "We can't. Not with that stuck in him."

"Get ready with the strongest you have," she said. "We _have_ to stop the bleeding."

"Hi-elixir," Cor instructed. He made sure his flashlight was pointed at the wood that had impaled Ignis. Terah pulled with a gloved hand and some of the wood came out. She had to poke a finger in to find an obstruction, Gladio guessed, then the largest piece came out. Along with a lot of blood. She pulled some more from his back, then lifted his shirt and jacket to look him over more. Satisfied with that, she poked one finger in the hole in front and one in from the back. "I can't feel anymore. Potion now." She removed her fingers.

Gladio placed the hi-elixir in one of Ignis's hands and helped him to crush it. The bleeding stopped. The holes were healed. But Ignis was still pale. Potions and elixirs couldn't replace lost blood like that. But Terah had confirmed he was still breathing. "We bought him some time," she said, "but we need to get him to the hospital fast."

Gladio didn't hesitate. He'd done this before. He knelt down and scooped Ignis up as he had on the altar. "Lead the way," he told Cor.

They left the building the way they'd come in. The other two hunters were waiting outside. Between them and Cor supporting, pushing, and pulling him, Gladio got Ignis back up onto the good path. Then they all hustled back to the gate. It opened for them and the golf cart was still waiting there. The intern looked like he was about to be sick. Gladio didn't care. He glared at him some more as Cor drove the cart away. Terah stayed close to Ignis, and Gladio didn't let go of him. He wished the little cart could go faster. Terah was already talking to one of the doctors as they drove. The doctors and nurses were ready when they reached hospital. Ignis's unconscious body was taken from him and placed on a gurney, then wheeled inside.

"You thinking he fell down to that wall?" Cor asked when they were alone in the cart.

Gladio nodded. "Or he was pushed," he replied. "Ignis is a fighter. If the kidnappers didn't harm him, he was trying to fight the daemons on his way out."

"But he couldn't see," Cor continued. "But if he got knocked off his balance, he would have tumbled over and down to that wall. He stood there, probably still fighting. He found the door and barricaded himself in the closet."

Gladio nodded again. "And then he nearly bled to death."

"They abducted him. They endangered him," Cor summarized. "We can't let that slide. But we have to do it right. We'll need to find the others. Then we'll need a trial."

Gladio named his fear. "And if he still dies?"

Cor put a hand on his shoulder. "Trust the vision he had. The three of you are going to be with Noctis. He'll be fine. It just may take a while."


	42. The Calm Before

**Momentis  
Part IV: Life in the Dark**

 **The Calm Before**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

When Ignis regained consciousness, he realized first he was not in the closet. That was a good sign. The room he was in sounded much larger, for one. The sounds were different in other ways. There were soft beeps, soft footsteps, someone else breathing nearby. There were even voices beyond.

In addition, the surface he was laying on was much softer, though he felt he was wearing less. He wasn't on his side, which hurt a lot less than it had. He didn't feel quite right still. There were places that hurt, and he was still very tired. He accepted that he was now safe and let himself sleep, and dream.

He awoke again when someone touched his arm. It always seemed a paradox to him that where most people woke from darkness to full sight, he did the opposite. His vivid dreams gave way to stark, black nothingness. This time, he opened his eye. "You're in the hospital, Mr. Scientia," said a man's voice near the bed. Probably a nurse, Ignis thought. "I'll get the doctor." The man finished with his arm and walked away.

"You scared me again, Iggy." That was unmistakably Gladiolus Amicitia.

"My apologies," Ignis told him, though his words came out slow. He was still very tired. "Next time, I shall endeavor to find more ethical abductors."

Gladio chuckled lightly. "You remember much?"

Ignis nodded. "Fin," he said. "I recognized his voice. Not the others. There were two others that talked. Maybe a fourth standing near. They ran as soon as the light burnt out. I tried to follow, but they'd taken my cane. Something hit me and I lost my balance." He stopped at that point, his mind imagining what he would have seen as he tumbled over and over, banging and bruising, maybe breaking, and of course, being impaled. That's when the doctor arrived.

"Ignis," Dr. Martin said. "It's good to see you awake. Can you tell me your full name?"

"He's good, doc," Gladio quipped. Ignis wondered if they'd been concerned about brain damage. "He's just been telling me about what happened last night."

"That's good news," Dr. Martin replied. "Ignis, you very nearly bled to death. You had been impaled by debris. That was removed on scene so a hi-elixir could be used. That stopped the bleeding and saved your life."

That explained why he didn't feel the immense pain in his side. And maybe the smaller pains he felt now.

"You understand," she went on, "in your condition, such an elixir posed a risk. There were some fractures that didn't set properly. And if any debris was missed—"

"It will cause an infection," Ignis finished for her. "Ribs?"

"Yes," the doctor answered. "Try not to move too suddenly. We'll need to keep you here for a few days. You'll need surgery, but not until you've got a full quantity of blood. We've got you past the minimum required to sustain life. We just don't have that much blood in our banks. You'll have to do the rest."

"Explains why I'm so tired," Ignis said. She patted his arm and then left the room.

Gladio came closer to the bed. "We had to do the elixir," he said, almost as an apology.

"I understand," Ignis told him. "I'm glad you did. I almost did. I couldn't stop the bleeding. I tried to pull it out," he admitted.

"Some of it was pretty jagged," Gladio told him. "Fin confessed, by the way. Led us to where they took you. Cor's with him. He'll get him to tell who the others were."

"My phone and cane?" Ignis asked him, remembering how his lack of them had hindered him.

Gladio placed his phone in his left hand. "Your cane's with your clothes. They're in a bag in the little cubby in the corner. Iris is going to try to find you some more of those, by the way. I'm not sure you can redeem the ones you had. Too many holes and bloodstains."

Ignis nodded. "We need to get the wall closed so we can work in shifts round the clock. We need the space."

Gladio put a hand on his arm. "Don't worry about any of that while you're in here. Worry about getting better. Bina's handling Administration. She's shadowed you for five years, let her shine on her own for a while. There's going to be a guard—one we can trust—outside your door at all times. If you should happen to hear one of their voices though, use the call button to get a nurse in here. Then use the diversion to let Cor or I know."

Ignis felt around with his right hand and quickly found the aforementioned call button. Then he realized he had no point of reference for the time of day. He'd been unconscious far too often of late. "What time is it?" he asked. "What day is it?"

"Talcott last saw you about twenty-six hours ago. It's eleven fifteen now. PM."

There was one more thing he was worried about. "Is Terah alright?"

"She's the one who pulled the wood out of you," Gladio told him. "She was pissed they took the cart. You hungry?"

Ignis hadn't noticed before, but now that Gladio had mentioned it, he found was quite hungry. "Yes."

"I'll see if I can find you something," Gladio replied as he stepped around the bed.

"Gladio?" Ignis asked, stopping him.

"Yeah?"

"Have you seen Aranea lately?"

"A few hours ago," he answered. "I sent her to your room to rest."

Ignis wasn't so much surprised but comforted by that. "She was here?"

Gladio chuckled. "I remember when we first met her. _Fought_ her. Who'd a thunk it would be you and her?"

Ignis smiled lightly. "It surprised me as well."

"So she came on to you first?"

"Really hungry," Ignis reminded him, to change the subject. "Starving."

Gladio chuckled again. "I'm going. I'm going."


	43. No Fun At All

Author's Note: Yep, new job definitely makes this harder. Though I did get to go to a symphony concert. Live classical music (that isn't Mozart) is rocket fuel to my brain. Got me past my writer's block for this chapter.

 **Momentis  
Part IV: Life in the Dark**

 **No Fun At All**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Ignis had enjoyed that meal and Aranea's visit in the morning. The next day, he'd been taken for X-rays. That was also when the fever started. Surgery was scheduled and antibiotics given. But the infection wouldn't go away until the three slivers of wood were removed from his side. The fever wouldn't go away until he started getting over the flu.

The decision was made to go ahead with surgery before his symptoms got worse. The shards were removed and several of his ribs rebroken so they could be reset properly. But the flu weakened his immune response to the infection, and the infection weakened his response to the flu. The end result was that three days after waking in the hospital, Ignis was utterly miserable and scaring Gladio again.

Blood loss was no longer a problem. But the incisions from the surgery were painful and his ribs ached. The fever left him both hot and chilled at the same time, and the nausea made him feel wishy-washy and unsolid in his torso. Then there was the high-pitched feeling high in his stomach that presaged another bout of vomiting.

Being sick was bad enough. Being sick while blind was a whole other nightmare. He had to have someone with him at all times. Someone had to make sure he had something to vomit into and that it was replaced quickly to be ready for the next bout.

Aranea, Gladio, Prompto, or Talcott were always at hand, reading to him or wiping the sweat off his face. It was a novel, a mystery, though Ignis could not recall much of it from chapter to chapter. The voices sounded different though. They each wore masks in an effort to keep from catching the flu. Still, he held on to the words spoken like a lifeline. The story, from moment to moment, was an opportunity to escape, to imagine, to see. An opportunity his body denied him with its many demands.

He was given pain killers for the pain and antibiotics for the infection. He had been given some antivirals though they had to be rationed strictly, given the potential for an epidemic. Ignis had insisted he not be treated any differently than anyone else. He was also given melaleuca tea to drink. It tasted terrible, but he forced himself to drink it then prayed it would stay down. None of the food they'd given him recently had.

Ignis finished the last bit of tea then held out the cup in a shaky hand. It was taken. He let himself fall back to the bed. It hurt his ribs a bit but he was too tired to stay sitting up. He wanted to throw off his blanket but he shivered with chills. He listened for Prompto's voice. The detective was at the crime scene. Ignis tried to picture it. He just couldn't manage it. So he tried to picture the hospital room. He knew there was a door to his right. There was a chair beside him. There was a pole holding an IV bag near his right shoulder. The walls were probably white. But the image he built was ethereal and undefined.

Then it started. He couldn't figure out how to describe it except to say it was high-pitched even though there was no sound. It was tucked up under his chest, right at the top of his stomach. He reached his left hand out for the receptacle that was placed on the table there. He only got it just in time. He retched four times before his stomach released him. Someone handed him a cloth and took the receptacle. Prompto wasn't reading so it was probably him. Ignis wiped his mouth then laid back in exhaustion. He hated being sick.

He spent two and a half days unconscious before the fever finally broke a couple weeks later. The incisions began to show signs of healing, and he could finally eat dry toast and applesauce without throwing up. One month since he woke up from the abduction, Ignis walked out the doors of the hospital with the help of his friends. The golf cart drove him home. Ignis was ordered to rest at least a week. And to eat. He'd lost nearly twenty pounds.

Forty-seven people had not been so lucky. The funeral had been held while he was still in the hospital, though he was told about it. It had become tradition now for the living to recite what their loved ones would have said. It saddened him to have lost so many, though he was relieved to not have any good friends among the dead.

His first act of business was testifying in a court convened by Cor and presided by four respected residents. After the conviction, Ignis argued for lenience for his attackers, which shocked those in attendance. He didn't wish them to be exiled to the daemon-infested surrounds. There was no will to simply lock them up. There was no jail, and they would not be contributing to the community.

Cor had brought with him a satisfactory compromise. Three of the attackers were be exiled to the Tenebraen ships. Three Tenebraens would take their places in Lestallum. The attackers were not allowed on shore until light returned to the world. But they would be safe and productive as fisherman and sailors, providing fish for the community. Fin was offered a choice as he had turned himself in and cooperated. He chose to train as a fighter and be exiled to Hammerhead for the remainder of the darkness.

Author's Note Take 2: The hardest part was trying to describe Ignis feeling sick. I haven't been sick for quite a few years now. I do, however, remember that high-pitched feeling just before throwing up. And that it's really no fun at all.


	44. Too Much of a Good Thing

Author's Note: Again, new job definitely makes this harder. On the bright(ish) side, I have mandatory furloughs so I'll have more time to write (and stay up late). Not so bright side, my paychecks will be much much lower.

 **Momentis  
Part IV: Life in the Dark**

 **Too Much of a Good Thing**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Ignis didn't mind Gladio's presence at first. He hadn't been able to spend much time with Gladio or Prompto through the years. Unless he was nearly dead. There was quite a lot to catch up on with Gladio, who filled him in on changes in the world beyond the walls. There were more daemons now, less animals to hunt. The hunters had had to make regulations and rules such as not taking breeding pairs. Gladio was shocked at the changes inside the walls, the mood mostly. The attack had woken up the whole community to just how bad it was. Gladio hadn't stuck around for company. He intended that nothing of the sort should befall Ignis again.

And to get him moving again. They started slow and low impact, but within three months, Ignis was nearly back to his former prowess with both lance and dagger. And Gladio's near-constant presence had begun to wear on him.

There was less grumbling now. Less talking in general really. Though Ignis didn't' think Gladio's nearness had that effect on people. It was more the shock that anyone had resorted to violence. Most people weren't happy with the overcrowding but they weren't on board with humans hurting humans. People still lined up to see him, to complain but to also reassure him that they didn't blame him personally. Ignis got the distinct sense that Gladio was becoming bored listening to this day after day, week after week.

"You don't have to be here," Ignis told him, during a rare break in the visits.

"This is actually my job, you know," Gladio countered. "I'm a Shield."

"You're the King's Shield," Ignis replied. "Not mine."

"Consider it practice, then," Gladio said. "I'm sure my father had to sit through a lot of boring stuff with King Regis, too."

Ignis thought to remind him that he wouldn't have time to be bored with King Noctis, but it was a sad thought, and he kept it to himself. Instead, he smiled. "I'm hardly a monarch. More of an administrator."

"Yeah," Gladio held. "An important one we can't lose."

"You do realize the lengths they went to to render me helpless?" Ignis pushed. "They used ether to render me unconscious because they couldn't have taken me otherwise. They tied me to a chair in such a way that I could not conjure weapons from the armiger."

"I would have done the same." Gladio was doing a masterful job of keeping his voice calm. "I don't doubt you, Iggy. But you're still too important to trust to everyone else's best intentions. Until the mood changes out there, I'm staying in here. With you."

The mood out there, these days, was more glum than threatening. Ignis felt that change. The sounds he heard were of people quietly going about their business, bumping into each other sometimes, standing in lines for food and necessities. Occasionally, there was yelling in one of the shared spaces as tempers flared.

Centa reported they were making good progress. Ann and Gena were already plans for who would move into the new buildings and who would replace them in their current residences. Ignis knew them well enough to know they would be as fair as possible.

"The mood will change when the building I nearly died in is ready for new residents, and all the daemons are banished from the area for good," Ignis told him. "Which can't come too soon."

"It's not all bad hanging out here," Gladio admitted. "I get to see someone more often."

"I see someone less," Ignis told him, "as she's out there making up for you being in here."

Gladio chuckled. "Aw, Iggy, you don't see anyone at all."

Ignis gave in and chuckled back. Then he flung a pencil, aiming about a foot below the spot where Gladio's voice was. He heard a satisfying umph.

"You missed," Gladio said, picking up the pencil from the floor.

Ignis smirked. "No, I didn't."


	45. A Day for Milk and Cookies

Author's Note: Turns out those furloughs were decreased. So I had to work 6.5 hours instead of the usual eight, but I had no days off, and still had to be there at 8 in the morning. So I didn't get to write (stay up late) after all. However, there was a recent weekend evening in which a particular baseball game went very, very long. So I wrote as we watched that. My husband was rooting for the Dodgers.

 **Momentis  
Part IV: Life in the Dark**

 **A Day for Milk and Cookies**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

Today was the day. Moving Day. Everyone had the day off (except certain admin and construction staff), but Ignis still got up early anyway. His shadow, Gladio, had no issue with that. He had his own move. From Ignis's floor back to his bunk in the barracks. Ignis was glad he wouldn't be tripping over anything on his floor this morning. He retrieved their breakfast—bread with jam.

"Today's the day," Gladio said, between bites.

"That it is," Ignis agreed.

"You gonna be glad to get rid of me?"

"Absolutely," Ignis told him. Then he got serious. "I do appreciate the intent, though as you see, no one else tried anything nefarious."

"Maybe because I was here," Gladio said. "And maybe not. Still, I get it. You're not used to having us around so much anymore."

"True," Ignis replied. "But I do miss you both when you're not around at all."

Gladio cleaned up after breakfast. "Come on," he said. "I'll walk with you to the gates."

They left the hotel and stepped into an already busy street. There were a lot of 'good mornings' and a pleasant cacophony of voices. Everyone, it seemed, was looking forward to today. Not only were some seven-hundred and thirty people moving into the now open sector, but many more were moving, spreading out into the space those seven hundred and thirty left behind. It was like the whole city had just let out a breath it had been holding as it waited for today.

Gladio made sure he had a clear path all the way to the back gate. Cinta greeted them both as they approached. Ignis could tell the lights were off on the far side of the wall. Cinta always liked a presentation when he could manage it.

Cinta led him to a small box or podium, and Ignis stepped up on it. He turned to face the residents lined up to move into their new apartments. He held up a hand and the crowd quieted.

"I really should have prepared a speech," Ignis began. There were a few polite chuckles. "But that's not what you want today. Today, we'll all get to breathe a little easier. Shall we, Cinta?"

Ignis heard a soft pop-pop-pop behind him, and he imagined the lights were going on one after the other. The gathered residents clapped. Ignis stepped down. He felt a hand reach for his. "Thank you," the owner said he shook Ignis's hand. Others patted him on the arm or shoulder as they passed. One or two kids actually hugged him around the knees. The anger and resentment of the last six months melted away in the laughter and motion of family after family, couple after couple, person after person as they all passed through the gate.

Gena brought up the end the line. "I knew today was going to be a good day!"

"Well, you and Ann put a lot of work into this," Ignis told her. "Work that has paid off well. All according to plan?"

"Everyone has their room assignments and keys. There's milk and cookies waiting in the cafeteria on the ground floor." She hooked her hand into his elbow and turned him toward the gate. "We're invited." Cinta joined them on the other side.

"On that note," Gladio said, "I take my leave. You're in good hands now."

"You mean no one wants to kill me today," Ignis quipped over his shoulder. He heard Gladio laugh.

"Speaking of," Cinta commented, "no more rubble to trip on." "There are still some areas to work on but the paths to the residence and factory are completely clear. We used a lot of that rubble to build the outer walls.

"It wasn't the path that nearly did me in," Ignis told him.

"There's nothing left to impale anyone either," Cinta replied. "Just some nice sidewalks and some steps down toward the door you slammed into."

"I slammed into the wall," Ignis corrected, smirking. "I merely got blood all over the door."

"The wall and door were easy," Cinta answered. "The broom closet though..."

Ignis stopped their forward progress. "You didn't just leave it as is?"

Cinta chuckled. "Got what we could and painted over the rest."

"No one will ever know you nearly died in there," Gena assured him.

They went on, and Ignis realized it was those steps, covered in various brick-a-brack and debris, that he'd tumbled over.

By the time they reached the cafeteria, residents were already filing in. No one had much in the way of possessions any more, so moving house could actually be done rather quickly. Meals were still simple but they were nutritious. Treats like cookies and cakes were rare and left for city-wide celebrations for the most part.

There were cheers again as the three of them entered. Ignis waved then picked up his bag of cookies and cup of milk from the table with little trouble. He let Gena lead him to an empty seat. As they sat down, Ignis asked those around him if they were happy with their new living arrangements.

"They're great!" one young woman said.

"Not luxury apartments or anything," her companion added. "But we have space now. And privacy. I can go to work then look forward to coming home."

"You all did what ya said you'd do," and older man said. "Six months. Just had to patient."

"And we didn't have to turn no one away!" a young boy said.

"Anyone, dear. We didn't turn anyone away," That must have been his mother, Ignis thought. Or his teacher.

"No we didn't," Ignis agreed. "Thank you all for being so patient with us. And thank Cinta for all the renovation work and Gena for organizing the move."

"And the cooks for the cookies!" a little girl to Ignis's right exclaimed.

"Here, here," Ignis said, smiling. He found himself breathing easier, too, relaxing for what seemed the first time since the kidnapping. The world was still dark. Daemons still filled the land beyond the walls and the city's lights. Ardyn was still in Insomnia, and Noctis was still going to die. But he was alive, as were his friends and the residents of Lestallum and her outposts. And now they'd be just a little bit happier and at ease. Today was a very good day.


	46. Seven Year Itch

Author's Note: Yes, I do still plan to write more Momentis. I do plan to finish it well after the darkness. As before, these chapters are short, and most are individual, but some will be serial at times. If I wrote this story like I did every other story, it would take 70 times as long as it's already taking. In positive news, I'm not longer in my hated job. I'm in a job I like, but with a commute (and start time) I don't. I drive roughly 40 minutes each way-on a good day. Today, there was a fairly massive snow. The drive home (about halfway through the snow and very early in the plowing) was over an hour. But hey, I've been writing! At least a little.

 **Momentis  
Part IV: Life in the Dark**

 **Seven Year Itch**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

This year, they met at Old Lestallum. Gladio had rented the trailer there and told all the residents he could to leave Ignis alone while they were there. Few people want to push him at that. Prompto bought the food from the Crow's Nest so Ignis wouldn't even have to cook their dinners. Ignis was a bit chagrined at that. He liked to cook. But this weekend wasn't about cooking or doing anything. It was about being together. It was now seven years since Noctis had been sucked in by the Crystal.

The first night was pleasant with an undertone of sadness. They caught each other up on their lives since they'd last been together. Prompto had still not give up on Cindy. Gladio was still seeing someone, and no, he wasn't willing to tell them who that someone was. Just as Ignis didn't feel the need to give them details on his relationship with Aranea. He simply acknowledged there was on and left it at that.

Prompto had noted the mood shift in Lestallum. He had been away a few months after Ignis's recovery. There were musicians in the streets again. Children ran and played after school.

"It's amazing what a little elbow room will do for people," Gladio commented.

"I can hear a clarinetist from my office every afternoon," Ignis added. "It's nice. I still get a steady stream of visitors, but it's all the usual stuff. Much more relaxed."

"Hopefully, it will stay that way until Noct comes back," Prompto said. He sighed. "Seven years! I wish that vision of yours had given a timeline. How long does it take to absorb all the Crystal's light anyway?"

Ignis nodded. There was no way to know. No one had ever done it before. Instead, he said, "Thriving populations tend to grow."

"They do," Gladio agreed. "But only one way now. No more immigrants."

Ignis nodded again. "That would be extremely unlikely. And children do grow slowly, so I think we have a while before we're all living on each other's laps again. I hope to enjoy it while it lasts."

"After Noctis," Prompto began, and then left that opening right there, "we'll be able to move back to Insomnia. That should help."

"I will help everywhere," Ignis pointed out. "Wiz could go back to his farm. New houses and towns could be built. The world will be safe again."

"Yeah," Prompto said. "Maybe Altissia can be rebuilt. It was really beautiful there. Very picturesque."

Ignis drew up some of his memories. The gondolas and canals, the bridges connecting streets and buildings. "I remember," he stated. "It really was."

"'Til we wrecked it," Gladio remarked.

" _We_ ," Ignis corrected, "didn't wreck it. The Empire and Leviathan wrecked it. _We_ helped the people evacuate before we joined in the destruction."

Gladio changed the subject. "Hey, Prompto, you got something on your chin."

"Oh, har har har," Prompto shot back.

Ignis held his breath a moment. But he smiled. "What is it?"

"Prompto's managed to grow some facial hair," Gladio supplied.

"I am almost thirty, you know," Prompto said in his defense.

Ignis let them continue the banter. He pulled up the memory of the vision, the image of Prompto's face. He imagined that image on the face of the young man across the table. Gladio's face in the vision on his other friend to the left.

Gladio noticed. "What is it, Iggy?"

Ignis took a breath. "There was a vague timeline," he said, "in the vision. I didn't tell you so as not to influence you in any way."

"You _still_ didn't tell us something?" Gladio exclaimed.

"What do you mean, Iggy?" Prompto asked, calming the situation.

Ignis let Gladio's exclamation go and answered Prompto's question. "I saw us, briefly, and we were older." He sighed again. "We had each had a distinct change to our appearances. I had changed my hair and glasses. I'm fairly certain, I now resemble the 'me' in my vision. Gladio, you changed your hair. Prompto, your chin."

Ignis heard Prompto slump back in his chair. "I get it."

Gladio grunted. "So now we look like we looked in your vision."

Ignis nodded. "But that still doesn't let us know when. Just that it's nearer. That it wouldn't have happened before all these changes had taken place."

"So it was always going to be at least seven years," Prompto calculated. "Can't be that long again, can it?"

Ignis gave that some thought. How much older had they looked? There was really no way to tell, especially as he couldn't see exactly how they looked now to try and compare it with the vision in other ways, more subtle ways. But he didn't think they'd looked fourteen years older. Gladio and he would be twenty-nine this year. Prompto and Noctis would be thirty-seven. Another seven years would put them at thirty-six and thirty-four. "I can only really guess," Ignis said. "I don't think we were that much older. If I could see you now or myself in a mirror, I might be able to better guess."

"It's okay, Iggy," Gladio assured him. "We know it's near. That's more than we knew yesterday. It's enough."

"Yeah," Prompto agreed. "Right now, he's alive and resting, right? Could be worse. We've made it this far. We'll make it a few more years."

"Yes," Ignis replied. "We will."

Gladio changed the subject. "I heard you and Talcott went tomb-hunting. How's he doing?"

Ignis smiled lightly. "He's grown up quite a bit, hasn't he? He doesn't match my mental image of him anymore, yet I have no other to replace it. So it's a little odd, when I hear his man's voice coming from a few feet above this little boy image I have for him."

Prompto chuckled. "What is he now, sixteen?"

"Seventeen," Gladio corrected. "So he's holding his own?"

"He's well-trained," Ignis replied. "He's quite adept at calling out the different kinds of daemons or animals we come across, so I can strategize better how to fight them. He's good with a blade, though Cor says he's better with a rifle. Personally, I've never seen him hit a target that way."

"Oh, har har har," Prompt said again, but with more mirth.

Ignis got more serious. "We are only going to go to tombs I've already been to and have some memory of. It seems each has a hidden library. It's a shame these books have been hidden away for so long. We can only carry a few of them back. Talcott is very good at scanning for the important tomes. I just wish I could help him more. But none of them are in Braille."

"Learn anything new," Prompto asked.

Ignis nodded. "Only that Ardyn is far older than he appears. We found a reference four centuries back."

"I'm not complaining," Prompto said, "but we haven't seen as much of him as I expected these last seven years."

Ignis thought about that. "Maybe he doesn't know how long Noctis will be in the Crystal either. We know he's in the Citadel in Insomnia. Cor sends some of the Glaive on reconnaissance there from time to time."

"There are imperial outposts in the city," Prompto added. "Soldiers in the streets, and daemons. I've gone with them sometimes. They're still good fighters, even without the king's magic."

"That they are," Gladio agreed. "What else did you see there?"

Prompto took a drink before saying more. "I found my house. It's still standing. It was like stepping back in time, ya know. Nothing had changed except for dust and cobwebs. And imps."

"I'm pretty sure my home isn't standing," Gladio said. "Iris told me about how she, Jared, and Talcott escaped, just before a fireball hit."

"You had two places, didn't you, Iggy?" Prompto asked. "Like Noct did."

"Yes," Ignis answered. "I had an apartment in the Citadel next to my uncle's. And I had a separate apartment in town near Noct's."

"One of them might still be standing," Prompto suggested.

"Perhaps," Ignis said. "Though I'm thinking the Citadel took a lot of damage."

"The main structure's there," Prompto reported, "but yeah, it got hit pretty hard, since the Emperor wanted the Chrystal and all."

Gladio told them a story of his time in the Citadel training Noctis, and they spent the rest of the evening in somber but pleasant memories of their former home.

In the morning, Prompto surprised Ignis as he helped with breakfast. "Have you thought about how we're going to rebuild Insomnia? You know, after?"

"I haven't planned for after," Ignis told him in truth. "I can't be sure we'll be there."

"Yeah," Prompto agreed, "but you're good with planning. Maybe you should think about it. If it's written down, someone else could use it, even if we're not there."

Ignis thought of little else through breakfast. When had Prompto gotten so astute? He was right. A plan would help whoever survived. They had rebuilt Lestallum on a plan. Would a similar one work for Insomnia?


	47. Paradigm Shift

Author's Note: Told you I still planned to write Momentis! Sorry it's been slow. Got like 4 stories to write and less time to write them lately but I did actually write a chapter of Momentis! And one I think that can move things along.

 **Momentis  
Part IV: Life in the Dark**

 **Paradigm Shift**  
by Philippe de la Matraque

* * *

It was a hot day in Spring when the power went out. Hot days in Spring were bad enough in Lestallum, which was, to be honest, often too warm for Ignis's taste. And to be honest again, he was not the first one to notice the power going out. What he did notice was the dead silence that lasted maybe thirty seconds before there were panicked screams and gasps throughout the admin building and outside in the streets.

Bina told him what his eyes could not. "The power's out! The whole city! The settlements!"

"Will the walls hold?" Ignis thought aloud.

Someone was bounding up the stairs.

"Will the walls hold?" Bina asked the new arrival. Ignis guessed Cor. Phones began to ring in the rest of the office.

"They can't get in that way," Cor responded.

Ignis thought fast. Maybe there was a problem at the plant. Maybe someone had flipped the wrong switch and now couldn't see to flip it back. Or maybe Ardyn was feeling nostalgic all the sudden. "We need Holly," Ignis said. "Find out what's wrong at the plant. All civilians need to stay locked indoors."

As if on cue, Ignis heard airships buzzing. "I hope that's Aranea."

Cor's tone let him know otherwise. "She's at least six hours away investigating rumors of Cerberos."

Ignis met him at the door then they both bolted down the stairs and out the front door. Bina had followed and locked it behind them.

"MT's," Cor said. "Could be worse."

Ignis pulled his daggers from the Armiger and Frostbound them. "I can handle MTs. Find Holly. We need the lights back up."

Ignis listened for the clank of the mechanized soldiers and raced toward a clump of them before they got fully ready to fire. They were down and sparking in seconds. He used Stormbound to flash to another group, then Frostbound to take them down. He could hear grunting and shots throughout the streets and knew that other fighters, hunters and Glaives were out fighting, too.

The MTs were just the first wave. It took two hours to clear them from the streets. The defenders barely had time to breathe before the larger machines were dropped in with exploding MTs to boot. Those were harder for Ignis as he hadn't had to deal with them personally since before he went blind. They had blinking lights on their chests that sped up before they exploded. Otherwise they sound just like MTs. Ignis got singed by a few until he decided to concentrate on the war machines, using his lance.

Three hours later the airships returned and then it was daemons. Big ones, Giants and Psychomancers, among them. Ignis was tired and sore but he kept fighting. He and the surviving fighters could not stop or it would mean the destruction of the city. When an hour later, he heard airships again, he feared the worst.

"You've been playing without me," Aranea teased above him.

Ignis signed in relief. The cavalry had come. New MTs dropped in and began attacking the daemons, which allowed the other fighters to look after their wounded and assess the damage.

"I want to get to the plant," Ignis told her. "But I can't even tell you where I am at the moment. I've been fighting enemy after enemy for the half a dozen hours."

"And you'll fight some more," she told him. "But I'll make sure you get there."

It took time as there were pockets of imps and an occasional Giant the repurposed MTs hadn't taken care of yet. Ignis's limbs felt heavy but at least felt the city would survive this assault if they could just get the power back on. That kept him moving, kept him fighting.

"There's Cor," Aranea told him as she helped him off the ground. The sounds of fighting were lessening around them. But Ignis could near Cor's gruff voice calling out orders.

"Highwind," he said by way of greeting. "I don't know how much longer we could have held out if you hadn't shown up."

"Can't say it was an easy flight," Aranea responded. "I've called Biggs and Wedge back this way, too. We're not going to find much but daemons in the outer reaches now anyway. Ardyn seems to be getting antsy."

"Maybe he thinks we're getting to good at this survival thing," Cor said. "He was trying to destroy the world after all."

Ignis heard a heavily-clad person arrive. Probably one of the engineers in a protective suit. That was confirmed with the pop and hiss of the helmet releasing.

"We've checked everything. The plant is clear. We've replaced a few valves, repaired some transition lines. The meteor is still glowing," Holly reported. "The power is just not coming."

"It's magic," Ignis concluded. "Ardyn's probably in there."

"You got some suits for us?" Cor asked Holly.

"Inside the gate and to the left," she confirmed, "hanging on the back wall. You know I hope the king comes back soon. We can't take another hit like this."

Ignis nodded. She was right. But the cost was just so high. He wanted Noctis to return and wanted him to stay alive in that Crystal, too. That dichotomy had not let up in the last six hour or the last seven and a half years. He followed Aranea and Cor through the gate.

The protective suits were bulky and ungainly. If they had to fight Ardyn, they'd be hampered. Ardyn would not and he was, for all intents and purposes, unstoppable without the power Noctis was collecting inside the Crystal. Ignis could only hope he was amenable to persuasion.

Cor led them inside. Ignis could see a lessening of his usual darkness. The meteor glowing in close proximity, he concluded. Their footsteps clanked loudly on the metal flooring, bur Aranea was behind him with a gloved hand on his shoulder as he followed Cor.

Laughter confirmed Ignis's suspicions. "Well, don't you three look stunning!" Ardyn. "Let me guess, Cor and Aranea Highwind. Your weapons give you away. And the third, given the height and lack of weapon: Ignis Scientia. A blind man, if I remember correctly."

Ignis didn't let Ardyn bait him. Not this time. "What are you doing here, Ardyn?" he asked. "Your vendetta is to House Lucii, not the city of Lestallum. You want Noctis. Tell me you're not so impatient after all these centuries that you're going to get in the way of your own plan here."

"You've been going some research," Ardyn replied. "Or someone has been doing it for you. Seeing as you can't see."

Ignis sighed. "You've already established that. I've been blind seven and a half years. You're not shocking me one bit."

Ardyn scoffed. "You are far more tiresome now than you were then."

"I didn't see the whole picture then," Ignis admitted. "But this isn't about them. This is about now. You have Insomnia. We haven't tried to attack it. Why bother us here, now? Bored?"

Ardyn apparently gave up on Ignis and tried to rile Cor. "Are you seriously relying on a blind man to keep your little settlement alive?"

"He is the best man for the job," Cor replied, keeping calm. "He's done very well for nearly eight years now. Really, why are you doing this now?"

"You _are_ impatient," Ignis said. "You know this isn't going to hurry Noctis out of the Crystal. He won't be leaving until he's absorbed all its light."

"You _have_ been researching," Ardyn commented. "Is seven and a half years not enough time for that?"

Ignis was shocked though he didn't let his voice show it. Ardyn had been mysterious and smarmy when they just met him. Until Altissia anyway. There he'd been showy and malevolent. But now he really did sound bored and impatient. "Apparently not," Ignis replied. "But I'm sure when he does come back, he'll come find you."

"Well, I've been thinking," Ardyn said, sounding more like his old self. "He thinks he needs to save the world. Wouldn't it be lovely if he found no world to save?"

Ignis didn't like the sound of that. He kept his voice calm. "I've known Noctis longer than anyone, better than anyone. He would deny you your vengeance-out of spite-if he found the world destroyed."

Cor's sword and Aranea's lance clashed in front of him. Ardyn must have snapped in close to Ignis's helmet.

"Perhaps," Ardyn sneered. "But I think your numbers are too high, regardless. I've been letting you off easy. That ends tonight." A moment later, ignis knew he'd gone because the sword and lance pulled away.

"That is not how I expected things to go," Cor admitted.

"It would have been quite clumsy to fight him in these suits," Aranea concluded.

"And we couldn't have won," Ignis said. The plant began to buzz arount them.

"It's back up," Aranea said. Cor then led them back up and out of the plant. They took off the suits, which now felt heavier to Ignis. He felt heavier.

The streets were filled with cheering, laughing people. But Ignis didn't feel like cheering. He caught Cor's shoulder. "Did we lose anyone?" he whispered.

"Yeah," Cor replied. "A few."

Ignis nodded. "We need to train _everyone._ "

Cor sighed. "Yeah, but tomorrow. You're exhausted. Get some sleep while you can."

Aranea too his arm. "I'll walk you home."

Ignis didn't argue. The adrenaline had left him before they'd left the plant. He felt ragged and sore after hours of fighting. She practically had to drag him up the stairs. He dropped onto the side of his bed and she knelt in front of him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Cor's right," he admitted. "I'm exhausted. I fought for hours."

"Not what I meant," Aranea sad as she slipped his glasses off his face and placed them on his bedside table. I mean meeting Ardyn again."

Ignis rolled his eye. "All his verbal jabs really meant nothing. I think after seven and a half years, I'm quite used to be blind."

"But you're scared," she said, keeping her voice, and her hands, gentle. She traced the edges of his scar with her fingers.

He took her hands in his. "I couldn't beat him," he whispered. "Even when I had the ring. He toyed with me. He could have killed me right then and there."

Aranea's forehead met his. "But he didn't. And that means we can fight another day and another day and another and another. Until Noctis comes back. We're going to save as much of the world as we can until that day."

"And then he'll be dead," Ignis sighed. A tear slid down his cheek.

She nodded, still touching his forehead with hers. "That's when he'll save the world for good." She wiped away the tear. "And I will be here to help you through that."

Ignis's phone rang just then. The tone told him it was Prompto. He pulled it from his pocket but Aranea took it. She pushed him down to his pillow as she answered. "Short stuff?," she said by way of greeting. "Yeah, well, Ignis is too tired to even hold the phone at the moment. Ardyn paid us a little visit six or more hours ago. Yeah, he's okay. Not a scratch on him. Just bone tired."

That was an understatement. Ignis felt his eyelids closing. "Warn them," he breathed. The last thing he felt was her lifting his legs onto the bed.


End file.
